Houston, we have a problem (“Houston, we have a problem,” n.d.). Uh…all of Texas, we have a problem!
Check out the TX therapy waitlist data, showing the number of individuals reported on a waitlist, from May 2023 through November 2024 (HHSC, June 2025):
- May 2023: 4,191
- November 2024: 7,701
Texas faces a longstanding challenge with pediatric therapy access. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) waitlist for children potentially needing services continues to grow, leaving families with Medicaid struggling to navigate delays in care. Additionally, only a small number of providers submit waitlist data to HHSC, which means decision-makers are often working with an incomplete picture of the true scale of the issue.
At Knowledge Is Now, we are committed to educating pediatric therapy providers and their teams about frameworks, strategies, processes, and tools to support provision of the right care, for the right child, at the right time, for the right reasons. Long therapy waitlists are a barrier to achieving that goal, given the delay in the assessment process needed to determine what may be medically necessary for each child and family seeking services.
Our friends at Nicular are also passionate about the idea that every child deserves timely access to the assessment process to determine if and when services are medically necessary. Enter TADA!
In 2025, Nicular launched the FREE Therapy Access Database Automation (TADA), a platform that streamlines how pediatric therapy waitlists are managed across Texas. By connecting directly with providers’ electronic health record systems, TADA automatically captures and updates referral and waitlist data in real time.
TADA’s real-time reporting, accurate data, and automated workflows allows providers and health plans to use waitlist data as a tool for problem-solving. This transparency allows for stronger collaboration and opens new opportunities to improve access to therapy for Medicaid members.
Therapy Waitlist Transformation
Managed Care Organizations are required to report pediatric therapy waitlist data directly to HHSC. TADA is positioned to help both HHSC and health plans to meet this requirement by eliminating manual and administrative burdensome tracking while ensuring compliance and accuracy.
Nicular’s mission is to transform waitlist management statewide, empowering providers and payers to work together in reducing delays and improving access. Every child served through TADA represents progress toward a future where no child waits for essential therapy services.
Help Spread the Word – Improve Access to Care
Treating therapist? Tell your organization’s leadership about TADA!
Therapy organization owner/leader? Sign up for TADA today!
TADA is available for non-profits operating in Texas too!
For more information about TADA and other Nicular solutions, reach out to Micaul Bass, BSN, RN.
References
Houston, we have a problem. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved December 7, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston,_we_have_a_problem
Texas Health and Human Services Commission. (June 2025). Biannual Therapy Access Monitoring Report. Retrieved December 7, 2025, from https://www.hhs.texas.gov/sites/default/files/documents/biannual-therapy-access-monitoring-june-2025.pdf
