Speech Therapy Cost and Wait Time Statistics 2026 (US and Canada)

In 2026, Medicare pays $76.15 nationally for a standard individual speech therapy session in the US (CPT 92507); Medicare mostly covers adults, so this is a benchmark rather than a price families pay. No government or insurer publishes what private clinics charge; the "$100 to $250 per session" seen on many sites has no traceable source. In Canada, private speech therapy is not covered by provincial health insurance, and Quebec's regulator puts private rates at $100 to $200 an hour. Public programs exist in both countries, but Canadian wait lists are long: children aged 5–6 in Quebec waited an average of 410 days for public speech therapy in January 2024.

Below are the current cost, coverage and wait-time statistics for the US and Canada, each linked to its source and dated. We separate measured numbers from targets, benchmarks and advertised prices, because most pages on this topic mix them up. Last checked: October 20, 2026.

Key speech therapy cost and wait time statistics

• $76.15: Medicare's 2026 national payment for an individual speech-language treatment session, CPT 92507 (ASHA 2026 Medicare Fee Schedule).

• January 1, 2027: the date CPT 92507 is deleted and replaced by 10 time-based treatment codes (ASHA).

• $0: what US families pay for speech therapy in a child's IEP; federal law requires it "without charge" (20 U.S.C. 1401).

• 35.0 million people were enrolled in CHIP or as children in Medicaid in June 2026 (Medicaid.gov), and federal law requires Medicaid to cover medically necessary treatment for enrollees under 21 (42 U.S.C. 1396d).

• 48.8% of US children with a voice, speech, swallowing or language problem saw a specialist for it in 2022 (Healthy People 2030).

• $100–$200 an hour: the usual private rate in Quebec, according to the provincial regulator, which also notes that fees are not regulated (OOAQ).

• 410 days: the average wait for public speech therapy for Quebec children aged 5–6 in January 2024, up from about 350 days a year earlier (Le Devoir, citing Quebec health ministry data).

• 11,276 people were waiting for public speech therapy in Quebec's CLSCs in 2025, with a median wait of 124.5 days and a mean of 228 days; in Laval the mean was 539 days (Santé Québec, 2026).

• 189 to 288 days: average waits for speech services across Nova Scotia's four zones on March 31, 2026 (Hearing & Speech Nova Scotia).

• 1,608 students, by our count, were waiting for a speech-language assessment at just three Ontario school boards audited in 2026 (Auditor General of Ontario).

• 2 months: the maximum wait for a first assessment recommended by Canada's speech-language pathology organizations, for any child with a suspected speech sound disorder (Rvachew & Rafaat, 2014).

How much does speech therapy cost in the US in 2026?

The only national, published price for a speech therapy session in the US is what Medicare pays. Private insurers and clinics set their own rates and do not publish them in any national dataset. Medicare's 2026 national payments for the most common speech-language pathology codes:

Source: ASHA, 2026 Medicare Fee Schedule for Speech-Language Pathologists, calculated from CMS relative value units and the 2026 conversion factor of $33.40, up 3.26% from $32.35 (CMS). These are the total allowed amounts: Medicare pays 80% and the patient owes 20% coinsurance after the deductible.

• Payment varies by region. By our calculation from CMS's 2026 geographic cost indices, the 92507 payment ranges from about $71.42 in Arkansas to $99.82 in Alaska.

• Medicaid often pays less. Rates differ widely by state; in the two schedules we checked, Montana Medicaid pays $65.47 for 92507 and $195.01 for a 92523 evaluation (Montana DPHHS, 2026), about 86% of the Medicare rate by our calculation. South Carolina Medicaid pays $110.24, $92.28 and $188.98 for the 92521, 92522 and 92523 evaluations from July 2026 (SCDHHS).

• Private pay has no public data. Clinic and app websites commonly quote $100 to $250 per session and $150 to $400 for an evaluation, but none we found cites a survey, claims database or fee schedule, and the ranges contradict each other. Treat them as advertised prices, not statistics.

What changes in 2027?

CPT 92507 "remains in effect through December 31, 2026" and is replaced on January 1, 2027 by a family of 10 time-based treatment codes that separate speech sound, language and combined treatment (ASHA). In its July 2026 proposed rule, CMS suggested these national Medicare payments for 2027 (ASHA summary, September 2026):

• At these proposed rates, a 60-minute speech sound session (92656 plus two units of 92657) would pay about $113.95, by our calculation.

• CMS proposed a 2027 conversion factor of $32.84, a 1.68% cut, partly because a temporary 2.5% increase for 2026 expires (CMS fact sheet).

• CMS also proposed a pediatric code, GSLPP, paid at the old 92507 rate but requiring 60 minutes of treatment by the billing clinician.

• These are proposals. The final rule was expected in fall 2026 and had not been published on October 20, 2026. Medicaid programs and private insurers decide separately whether and when to adopt the new codes.

Does insurance cover speech therapy in the US?

• ACA plans: "rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices" are one of 10 essential health benefits (42 U.S.C. 18022). Federal rules give "therapy for a child who is not walking or talking at the expected age" as an example and name speech-language pathology, and since 2017 plans may not combine visit limits for habilitative and rehabilitative services (45 CFR 156.115). This applies to individual and small-group plans; large employer and self-funded plans are not bound by it.

• Coverage levels "will depend on the state", but plans must say whether speech-language pathology is covered and disclose visit limits (ASHA).

• Medicaid: under EPSDT, states must cover necessary treatment for enrollees under 21 "whether or not such services are covered under the State plan" (42 U.S.C. 1396d(r)). In June 2026, 35,043,634 people were enrolled in CHIP or as children in Medicaid, 47.9% of all Medicaid and CHIP enrollees. How states apply EPSDT to speech therapy, including prior authorization and visit limits, varies.

• Insurance shapes access. In an analysis of 2012 national survey data, privately insured children with speech disorders had about 6 times the odds of ever having received services compared with uninsured children (odds ratio 6.1, 95% CI 1.7–21.3) (Davidson et al., 2022).

Is speech therapy free for children in the US?

Yes, through two federal programs, though both require an eligibility decision first.

• School-age children (IDEA Part B): special education and related services, which include speech-language pathology, must be provided "at public expense... and without charge" (20 U.S.C. 1401). In 2022–23, 7.5 million students aged 3–21 were served under IDEA, and 19% of them, about 1.4 million, had a speech or language impairment as their primary disability (NCES).

• Birth to age 3 (IDEA Part C early intervention): evaluation, assessment and service coordination are free; states may charge sliding-scale fees for other services, but "the inability of the parents... to pay for services will not result in a delay or denial of services" (34 CFR 303.521). In 2023, 460,321 infants and toddlers, 4.2% of all children under 3, received Part C services (47th IDEA Report to Congress).

• Part C received about $540 million of the $15.4 billion federal IDEA budget in FY2025, or 3.5% (Congressional Research Service, 2026).

• Only 53% of children referred to Part C ended up enrolling, and 48 states reported a lack of qualified providers as a challenge (GAO, 2023).

How many US children with speech disorders get therapy?

• About 1 in 14 (7.2%) US children aged 3–17 had a voice, speech or language disorder in the past year (NIDCD).

• 59.7% of them received intervention services in the past year, according to NIDCD: 64.3% of white children, 51.7% of Hispanic children and 49.9% of Black children; 62.8% of boys and 53.9% of girls.

• These figures come from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey and are still widely quoted as current. The newest federal measure asks a different question: in 2022, 48.8% of children aged 3–17 with a voice, speech, swallowing or language problem saw a specialist for evaluation or treatment, against a national target of 56.0% (Healthy People 2030).

For prevalence by age and the share of children who outgrow speech errors, see our speech delay statistics.

How long do US children wait for speech therapy?

There is no national measured wait time for pediatric speech therapy in the US. What exists:

• Legal deadlines. Early intervention must complete screening, evaluation, assessment and the family service plan within 45 days of referral; under Part B, up to 90 days can pass from a parent's consent to evaluate until the initial IEP is written (CRS, 2026).

• SLP-reported wait lists. In a survey of 267 SLPs in 10 countries, 73.6% said their workplace had a waiting list; reported waits ran from 0 to 42 months, with a mean of about 8 months (McGill et al., 2021). This is international, not US-only.

• Caseload pressure. The median US school SLP serves 50 students against the 40 that SLPs consider manageable (ASHA 2026 Schools Survey); more in our SLP statistics.

• Teletherapy. Congress extended Medicare telehealth coverage for SLP services through December 31, 2027 (ASHA, February 2026).

How much does speech therapy cost in Canada?

Provincial health insurance does not pay for private speech therapy. The Canada Health Act's insured services are "medically necessary hospital, physician and certain surgical-dental services" (Health Canada); speech-language pathology outside hospitals is either funded through provincial programs or paid privately. Speech and Hearing BC states plainly that "BC's Medical Services Plan does not cover private speech, language, or swallowing therapy" (SHBC), and Western University's clinic notes its services "are not covered by health care funding from the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP)".

We found no current fee guide published by a provincial regulator or association. The published price points we could verify:

• The Canadian Stuttering Association puts private fees at "over $100 to close to $200 per hour, depending on where you live" (stutter.ca).

• Speech and Hearing BC warns that hourly rates are hard to compare: "An SLP may have a lower hourly rate but charge for more services; others may have a higher billing rate but only charge for the time they spend with the client."

• Extended health benefits cover only part of it. The federal Public Service Health Care Plan, one of Canada's largest employer plans, reimburses speech-language pathology and audiology at 80% up to a combined $750 a year (Treasury Board). If the $750 is the claimable amount, that is at most $600 back, or five sessions at $150 an hour, by our calculation. Plans vary widely, and we found no industry-wide survey of coverage.

Is speech therapy free in Canada?

Provinces fund public speech therapy, mostly for preschool children, in schools and in hospitals. Access is rationed by wait lists.

• Ontario: the Preschool Speech and Language Program serves children from birth until they start school, and "you do not need a referral from your doctor." Ontario says "about 1 in 10 children need extra help developing speech and language skills" (Government of Ontario).

• Alberta: in a 2023 release for southern Alberta, Alberta Health Services said people "can self-refer and there is no charge for Albertans with an Alberta healthcare card" (AHS, 2023).

• British Columbia: "publicly funded speech services for children aged 0-5 years are provided free of charge" at health units and child development centres, according to Speech and Hearing BC, which counted about 165 full-time publicly funded SLPs serving toddlers and preschoolers in 2019 (SHBC, 2019).

• Quebec: public services run through CLSCs; Santé Québec told Le Devoir that funding from its Agir tôt early-detection program has paid for nearly 175 additional speech-language pathologists since 2019, while acknowledging there are not enough to meet demand (Le Devoir, 2025).

• Saskatchewan: the Saskatchewan Health Authority offers children's therapy from birth to school entry, and "many therapy services are available by self-referral" (SHA).

• Paying privately buys speed. Looking at school-board psychological and speech-language assessments, Ontario's Auditor General found that "students with privately funded assessments often received supports sooner than those waiting for board assessments, creating inequities based on families' ability to pay" (2026).

How long are speech therapy wait times in Canada?

Canada has no national wait-time data for speech therapy. Provinces measure, or do not measure, in different ways, so the numbers below are not directly comparable. Start with the professional benchmark.

The benchmark. Canada's speech-language pathology organizations recommend that any child with a suspected speech sound disorder get a first assessment within 2 months of referral, regardless of age or risk, and then start therapy within these limits (Rvachew & Rafaat, 2014):

The authors call the two years before school entry "the most critical period for rapid service."

What families actually wait:

• Quebec: Santé Québec released its CLSC wait table in June 2026 in response to an access-to-information request about children aged 0 to 17; the table itself counts "users" without stating an age range. The number waiting peaked at 14,100 in 2023, and the number of people who completed CLSC speech therapy each year more than doubled, from 8,450 in 2019–20 to 18,652 in 2025–26. Mean waits ranged from 47 days in the north of Montreal island to 635 days in the West Island.

• Quebec: a 2023 survey of about twenty health establishments by Le Devoir found average waits of at least 10 months for early-childhood speech therapy in about ten regions; in the West Island of Montreal, the longest wait was 805 days (Le Devoir, 2023).

• Ontario: the province collects actual Preschool Speech and Language wait times from its programs, but we found no published figures. Even its targets allow half of children to wait longer than three months, beyond the 2-month benchmark.

• Ontario schools: of the 1,608 students waiting, 817 were at the Toronto Catholic District School Board, 696 at Peel and 95 at Upper Canada. At Toronto Catholic and Peel, 34% of students waiting for a psychological or speech-language assessment had waited more than a year. At Toronto Catholic, one specialist had 64 outstanding speech-language assessments while another had two.

• Newfoundland and Labrador: 70 SLPs serve children under five and adults across the province's health zones (CBC, 2025).

Why wait times matter

• The Canadian benchmark is shortest, 1 month for high-risk children, at ages 4 to 6, the period just before school entry.

• A University of Waterloo analysis of more than 1,700 children in a pediatric speech-language therapy program found that each extra year a child waited to start treatment was associated with a 26.3% increase in the number of appointments eventually needed (Ravenscroft, 2025). It is a thesis, not a peer-reviewed study, and shows an association, not proof of cause.

• When public services are slow, families who can pay go private. Ontario's Auditor General called the result "inequities based on families' ability to pay."

While a child waits, parents can check which sounds are expected at their child's age with our speech sound development chart.

Speech therapy costs: US vs Canada at a glance

Unsourced cost figures to watch for

Frequently asked questions

How much does speech therapy cost per session without insurance?

There is no official figure for private-pay prices in the US. Medicare's 2026 national payment for an individual session is $76.15, and clinics commonly advertise $100 to $250. In Quebec, the regulator says private rates usually run $100 to $200 an hour.

What does Medicare pay for speech therapy in 2026?

$76.15 nationally for CPT 92507 (individual treatment), $24.05 per patient for group treatment, and $111.89 to $226.46 for evaluations. By our calculation, amounts vary by region from about $71 in Arkansas to about $100 in Alaska for 92507.

Is CPT 92507 going away?

Yes. It is deleted on January 1, 2027 and replaced by 10 time-based codes. CMS has proposed $66.01 for the first 30 minutes of speech sound treatment under the new code 92656; the final rates were pending as of October 2026.

Does Medicaid cover speech therapy for children?

Yes, when it is medically necessary. Under EPSDT, Medicaid must cover necessary treatment for enrollees under 21, even if the state plan does not otherwise list the service, though states set their own rules for prior authorization and visit limits.

Is speech therapy covered by OHIP?

Private speech therapy is not covered by OHIP. Ontario funds speech therapy through the Preschool Speech and Language Program (birth to school entry, no doctor's referral needed), school boards and hospitals.

Is speech therapy free in Canada?

Provinces fund public speech therapy, mostly for preschool children and through schools and hospitals, but access depends on wait lists; private therapy is paid out of pocket or through employer health benefits. In Alberta, AHS has said Albertans can self-refer to its speech-language pathologists at no charge with an Alberta healthcare card.

How long is the wait for speech therapy in Quebec?

In 2025, 11,276 people were waiting for public speech therapy in Quebec's CLSCs, with a median wait of 124.5 days and a mean of 228 days (Santé Québec). Waits vary widely by region, from under two months to a mean of 635 days in the West Island of Montreal (539 in Laval). For children aged 5–6, the average wait was 410 days in January 2024.

How long is the wait for speech therapy in Ontario?

We found no published actual wait times for Ontario's preschool program; its target is to assess half of children within three months. In school boards audited in 2026, 1,608 students were waiting for a speech-language assessment at three boards.

Methodology and sources

We gathered these statistics on October 20, 2026, from government documents, regulators, fee schedules and peer-reviewed research, and checked each number against the original. Prices advertised by clinics are labelled as such and are not treated as statistics. Calculations we made ourselves (regional Medicare ranges, the proposed 60-minute payment, sessions covered by a benefit limit) are marked "by our calculation."

• Amounts are in US dollars for the US and Canadian dollars for Canada, and are not adjusted for cost of living.

• National data on which US children receive speech services, by race and sex, are from 2012; the 2022 figure covers all children only. Several Canadian wait figures come from news reports quoting official data.

• Wait times are measured differently in each province (referral to assessment, referral to first service, or age-specific averages).

We will update this page when CMS publishes its final 2027 fee schedule, when new provincial wait data appear, and at least once a year.

To cite this page: Ga-loo (2026). Speech Therapy Cost and Wait Time Statistics 2026 (US and Canada). https://ga-loo.com/blog/speech-therapy-cost-statistics

Related reading

• Speech delay and speech sound disorder statistics: how many children have speech difficulties, and at what ages.

• SLP statistics 2026: how many speech-language pathologists there are, their caseloads and pay.

• No-prep teletherapy for articulation: materials for remote sessions.

Every session is expensive, so home practice between appointments matters. Ga-loo gives SLPs a weekly articulation pack for each goal, with a black-and-white home practice page for families, built from phonetically checked word lists by sound.