Sunshine/CMS Changes: What is Happening and What is FMT’s Plan?
What is Happening?
What is MTM and how does it relate to Sunshine/CMS?
Medical Transportation Management (MTM) is a third-party contractor that allows expressive therapies (music, art, and equine therapies) to have access to Sunshine/CMS (Medicaid) coverage. Up to this point, music therapy practices like Florida Music Therapy have not been able to work directly with Sunshine/CMS because we have not qualified for a Medicaid ID number since Florida does not have state licensure for music therapists. Since MTM had a Medicaid ID number, they have been the bridge for us, but they have also been contracting with musicians (without music therapy degrees or board-certifications) to fulfill the same scripts that music therapists are supposed to be fulfilling. They are able to do this because Florida has denied music therapists title protection, which would prevent this from happening.
What is the problem?
Sunshine/CMS informed MTM that their contract would expire on December 31, 2025, and we were informed last week. During the panic we started having about no longer having access to our MTM bridge, we were contacted directly by Sunshine/CMS that they would be creating their own bridge with board-certified music therapists. Board-certified music therapists would be able to obtain their own Medicaid ID numbers and follow in the footsteps of occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech therapists who work directly with Sunshine/CMS. Our new contracts would be able to start the day after the MTM contract was set to expire, so everything should have proceeded smoothly without any interruption of services.
MTM then decided to change the way they allow music therapists to use their bridge, and are now requiring that any expressive therapists have an active Medicaid ID number to be able to use the MTM bridge to Sunshine/CMS. While many expressive therapists are in the process of obtaining Medicaid ID numbers in preparation of the new contracts for 2026, they are not able to cross this new barrier than MTM has put in place. This barrier to the MTM bridge began October 13, 2025, but the direct bridge to Sunshine/CMS is not possible to use until January 1, 2026.
What is Florida Music Therapy doing?
We are doing a few things! We have asked all families to complete a survey about alternative funding sources, such as Step Up For Students, CDC+, Gardiner/Family Empowerment Scholarship, HSA/FSA, AAA, or any other possible funding source to continue music therapy sessions until we are able to begin our new contract with Sunshine/CMS. We have also launched our sponsorship program which will allow members of our amazing communities to sponsor music therapy sessions for those who may not have any funding alternatives. Head to our “Sponsor” tab for more information! We are also asking all families to reach out to their Sunshine/CMS case managers and advocates, as well as reach out to MTM to advocate for music therapy and how it has made a positive impact on their lives, and what this potential gap in services may mean.
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