LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – As more families receive state approval for the Texas Education Freedom Accounts, companies are reminding parents that the money can be used to pay for therapy as well as tuition.
Students under the Tier 1 category were approved this week. That includes students who have a documented disability and come from a household that falls at or below 500 percent of the federal poverty level or were siblings of a qualifying family member.
When it comes to students with disabilities, families are allowed to use the state money for educational therapies – including speech, occupational, and physical – that is not covered by any federal, state, or local government benefits (i.e., Medicaid).
Providers must be found through the state’s Odyssey portal, as every purchase is tracked and verified by the state.
Coral Care is one of the approved platforms. Jen Wirt started the company after seeking care for her oldest daughter.
“When she was a baby, she had developmental delays,” Wirt said. “She wasn’t hitting her gross motor milestones. She wasn’t comfortable on her belly, wasn’t rolling over.”
Wirt flagged the concerns to her pediatrician and was sent on a path to find a physical therapist.
“It took seven months to get off waitlists, to get her first evaluation only to wait another six or seven months to get her into care,” Wirt said. “The whole process of navigating it was awful and I just had it in me that there has to be a better way to fix it.”
Coral Care matches families with licensed providers for at-home, specialty care for a child’s needs. The company operates as a marketplace where parents can search for local therapists who come to the home first for an evaluation and then for weekly ongoing care.
Wirt says an at-home therapist more beneficial than relying on school therapists.
“Parents are getting mixed messages. The whole idea of getting school-based support is like, ‘oh this will be handled when my child goes to school’, but that’s not always the case,” Wirt said. “There’s a reason it’s advised to get kids in [therapy] as early as possible. It’s much easier to guide them and get them to better outcomes if you start them earlier in care.”
Wirt said families often do not know what an occupational therapist is or whether their concerns warrant professional help.
“When something is going on with your child, you are so motivated to help them,” Wirt said. “And unfortunately, in this space, whether it’s through state programs or trying to find someone in private, there’s just so many things in the way. And it can really make you feel like you’re failing your child because you know the help they need. You just can’t get it for them.”
Coral Care has 200 licensed therapists operating in Texas. All 200 will be registered in the TEFA marketplace before July 1.
It’s also bringing in about 100 new clinicians a month. Many work in schools part-time and see children through Coral Care in the afternoons, evenings and weekends.
For an evaluation and ongoing weekly care, the cost is about $5,500 a year for self-pay. A child could receive a full year of care with the funds available through the TEFA program, Wirt said.
Part of the state funds will be released on July 1, but Wirt encourages families to establish a provider now.
“The moment those funds become available I suspect it’s going to be a bit of a frenzy with families saying I can finally do this,” Wirt said. “And we’re here — our providers are available, they have capacity.”
Children who start therapy before July 1 should arrive at that date with an established therapist, documented baselines and an active treatment plan. Transitioning payment to TEFA on July 1 does not disrupt the therapist relationship.
Coral Care accepts BCBS Texas, Baylor Scott & White Health Plan and Curative insurance. It’s also offering a discount to families wanting to establish care before TEFA funding becomes available. You can use the promo code ‘TEXASFAMILIES’ for $100 off your first evaluation.
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