UHCCF Medical Grant for Speech Therapy: What Families Should Know
Speech therapy can become expensive quickly, especially when families are dealing with deductibles, copays, coinsurance, or out-of-network costs.
The UHCCF medical grant for speech therapy may help eligible families cover some costs that are not fully paid by insurance.
Despite the name, your child does not need to have UnitedHealthcare insurance to apply.
What is the UHCCF Medical Grant?
UHCCF provides grants to help families pay for medical expenses that are not fully covered by their child’s health insurance.
Speech therapy is specifically listed as an eligible expense.
Families may receive up to $5,000 within a 12-month period, with a $10,000 lifetime maximum per child.
The full $5,000 is not guaranteed. Grant amounts are determined by UHCCF based on the family’s situation and eligible expenses.
Who can qualify?
One of the biggest requirements is insurance.
The child must have commercial health insurance as their primary insurance. This can include plans through companies such as UnitedHealthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna, or other commercial carriers.
TRICARE has also been used by families who have received UHCCF grants.
A child can have Medicaid or CHIP as secondary coverage, but Medicaid or CHIP cannot be the child’s only or primary insurance.
There are also income limits based on family size.
Current limits are:
Family of 2: $65,000
Family of 3: $100,000
Family of 4: $135,000
Family of 5 or more: $170,000
The child must also be age 16 or younger when the family applies.
These income limits are higher than many families expect, so it may be worth checking even if you assume you would not qualify.
How can the UHCCF medical grant for speech therapy help families?
Yes, in many cases.
UHCCF specifically includes speech therapy as an eligible medical expense.
Depending on how a family’s insurance processes the service, grant funds may be used toward things like:
Deductibles
Copays
Coinsurance
Certain out-of-network speech therapy costs
There are some exclusions, so families should always review the current UHCCF guidelines before assuming a service will qualify.
For example, UHCCF currently excludes some services such as group therapy, social skills therapy, therapy program fees, and myofunctional therapy.
What if Radiant Moments is out of network with my insurance?
Families may still be able to use the grant for out-of-network speech therapy.
The main difference is that the family will need to submit the speech therapy charges to their insurance company first.
At Radiant Moments, the process could look like this:
The family pays for the session according to our normal payment policy.
We provide a superbill.
The family submits the superbill to their insurance company.
The insurance company processes the claim and sends the family an Explanation of Benefits, or EOB.
The family submits the required documentation to UHCCF for reimbursement.
So even if Radiant Moments is not in network with a family’s insurance plan, that does not automatically mean the grant cannot be used.
The important part is that the insurance company still has the opportunity to process the claim and issue an EOB.
How does the $5,000 grant work?
The $5,000 is a maximum award, not an automatic payment.
If a family is approved, they can submit eligible expenses against their grant balance.
For example, if a family receives a $5,000 grant and has $1,500 in eligible speech therapy expenses, they can submit those expenses for reimbursement. Their remaining grant balance would then be reduced accordingly.
A child may potentially receive grants in more than one year, but UHCCF has a $10,000 lifetime maximum per child.
How far back can the grant cover expenses?
UHCCF may consider eligible expenses from up to 90 days before the application is considered complete.
Because of that, families who are interested in the program should not wait too long to apply.
What does the family need to provide?
Families will need to submit documentation directly to UHCCF.
This may include:
Their federal tax return
The child’s insurance information
A UHCCF Medical Condition Form
Provider invoices or superbills
Insurance EOBs
Proof of payment when requesting reimbursement
Radiant Moments can provide documentation related to the speech therapy services we provide.
Where can families learn more?
Families can review the current eligibility requirements and apply directly through the UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation website.
If your child receives speech therapy through Radiant Moments and you are approved for a UHCCF grant, please let us know. We are happy to provide the documentation you need for the reimbursement process.
For some families, this may be a helpful way to make ongoing speech therapy more manageable, especially when insurance leaves a significant portion of the cost to the family.
Radiant Moments Pediatric Therapy is not affiliated with the UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation. Eligibility, award amounts, covered expenses, and reimbursement decisions are determined by UHCCF. Families should review the most current UHCCF requirements before applying.
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