Insurance, TEFA & Payment Options for Speech Therapy in East Texas
At TH Speech Therapy, I believe every child deserves access to high-quality, individualized speech, language, and feeding therapy, regardless of your family’s income, insurance situation, or school choice.
That’s why I accept major Texas insurance plans and am proud to be an approved vendor for the Texas Education Freedom Account (TEFA) program giving families more pathways than ever to fund the therapy their child needs.
What Is the Texas Education Freedom Account (TEFA)?
TEFA is Texas’s new education savings account program. It gives eligible families state education funds, placed into a parent-controlled account, that can be used for a wide range of approved educational expenses, including private speech therapy.
Think of it like a dedicated savings account for your child’s education, funded by the state, that you decide how to spend. Instead of all of your child’s education funding going to a public school, you can direct it toward the services that actually fit your family; including private school tuition, tutoring, curriculum, educational technology, and therapy services like speech-language pathology.
TEFA FAQs
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Funding amounts depend on your child’s educational setting and needs. In general:
Private school students receive a set annual amount for approved expenses
Students with a qualifying disability or IEP are eligible for a significantly higher annual amount — recognizing the real cost of specialized services
Homeschool students receive a smaller annual award for approved expenses
For families of children with disabilities, TEFA can be truly life-changing — making specialized services like intensive speech therapy, AAC support, and feeding therapy accessible in a way they often aren’t through insurance alone.
(Note: TEFA funding amounts and eligibility criteria are set by the State of Texas and may be adjusted over time. I always recommend verifying the latest details at educationfreedom.texas.gov or with your Certified Educational Assistance Organization.)
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Approved uses typically include:
Private school tuition and fees
Educational therapies — including speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy
Private tutoring and specialized instruction
Curriculum and instructional materials
Educational technology and assistive devices
Standardized testing fees
Special needs services and supports
Because speech therapy is an explicitly approved TEFA expense, families enrolled in the program can use their account to pay for services at TH Speech Therapy — with no out-of-pocket cost when funds are available.
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Here’s what makes TEFA so family-friendly:
The process is simple:
You apply for TEFA through the official Texas Education Freedom Accounts program
You’re approved and funds are placed in your child’s account
You select TH Speech Therapy as an approved vendor
I invoice through the official TEFA platform after sessions
You approve the invoice with one click
The Texas Comptroller pays me directly from your child’s TEFA account
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Not every speech-language pathologist in Texas is approved as a TEFA vendor — and families enrolled in TEFA can only use their funds with vendors who are. I went through the vendor approval process so that families across East Texas and beyond could access quality, specialized speech therapy using their TEFA funds.
For families who have been priced out of private pay therapy, denied by insurance, or stuck on long waitlists for specialized care, TEFA + a TEFA-approved SLP can be the combination that finally opens the door.
Accepted Insurance Plans
Aetna (Texas)
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBS TX)
Wellpoint (Texas)
Private Pay
