New law to help Arizonans with head, neck cancer, traumatic brain injury, ALS

Banner Health helps expand Arizona Medicaid coverage to include speech, swallowing therapies

AHCCCS coverage has been expanded to include speech and swallowing therapy for adults over 21 years of age after Senate Bill 1741 was included in the latest state budget.

The expansion benefits patients with head and neck cancer, ALS, and Parkinson’s, conditions that significantly impact communication and nutrition by ensuring crucial speech and swallowing therapies are now covered in-network. The patients previously had a gap in coverage.

Two Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center team members in Gilbert — Leah Mackie, a speech pathologist, and Sarah Glenn, associate director of rehabilitation services — championed the bill, which expands AHCCCS coverage to include speech and swallowing therapy for a