Former basketball star Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scores victory as advocate of new Kentucky law
FRANKFURT, Kentucky — Former basketball Star Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored a victory Thursday as the leading advocate of a new Kentucky law that would expand insurance coverage to people seeking treatment for stuttering.
Kidd-Gilchrist, who played on a national championship team at the University of Kentucky and spent several years playing in the NBA, spoke about his own struggles with stuttering.
He appeared before Kentucky lawmakers to approve the bill, which sailed through the Republican-dominated Legislature and was signed by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear.
At a bill signing ceremony Thursday, Kidd-Gilchrist spoke about this accomplishment that he hopes will have a lasting impact on others who are working to overcome their speech difficulties.
“I weathered the storm of being harassed, teased and so on,” he said. “I just want to thank you guys for being heard on this scale. I’m not just a national champion here anymore. I am someone who has made a real impact in this state. I want to thank you guys for this opportunity.
Speech therapy is the cornerstone of stuttering treatment. In the world, 70 million people stutter and the President Joe Biden publicly stated that he was teased by classmates and a nun at a Catholic school because of his own speech impediment. He said overcoming this was one of the hardest things he had ever done.
On Thursday, Beshear praised Kentucky’s bill — Senate Bill 111 — that will require insurers to cover the cost of speech therapy to treat stuttering.
“Speech therapy can make a world of difference and now everyone will be able to benefit from this coverage,” the governor said.
During debate on the bill in the Kentucky Senate last month, Republican Sen. Whitney Westerfield spoke about the barriers many people face in getting the treatment they need.
“There are a lot of Kentuckians… who either don’t have coverage or have coverage and it’s limited by these arbitrary caps – say 20 therapy sessions and that’s it – whatever your need “, did he declare. “You might need 10 times more.” But you can’t get it.
Westerfield, the bill’s sponsor, on Thursday gave credit to Kidd-Gilchrist for the bill’s success.
“That’s his story and that’s why this bill is here,” Westerfield said.
In a recent opinion piece, Kidd-Gilchrist highlighted her ties to Kentucky and her efforts to help others who struggle with stuttering. He wrote that he traveled the Bluegrass State to “hear the testimonies” of people who stutter and advocate for them.
“I strive to use what can be a struggle – my voice – to speak on behalf of the community I represent whose voices often go unheard,” he said.
“The main barrier to treatment for those who stutter is the way insurance coverage is structured for this condition,” he added.
