The So Every BODY Can Move law: what it means if your state has it

Fifteen states now require insurers to cover activity-specific prosthetic and orthotic devices as medically necessary. Here is what those laws say, which plans they apply to, and how to use them.

Most state prosthetic parity laws cover the device you need to walk, work, and function in daily life. They do not, by default, require coverage for the prosthesis you need to run, swim, cycle, or compete in adaptive sports. An insurer in most states can acknowledge that a running blade is real medical equipment, then decline to cover it as “not medically necessary” under their policy language, without violating any law.

So Every BODY Can Move (SEBCM) legislation closes that gap. Fifteen states have passed it as of late 2026. Another wave is in progress, with the campaign targeting thirty states by the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.

This guide explains what SEBCM laws require, which plans they apply to, and how to use the law if your state has it.

What parity laws leave out

General prosthetic parity laws require insurers to cover devices deemed medically necessary. The problem is that “medically necessary” has traditionally been interpreted to mean the minimum required to restore basic function. Under that reading, a prosthetic foot that lets someone stand and walk is medically necessary. A running blade that lets the same person run is, by some insurer definitions, extra.

Our prosthetic parity laws guide covers this gap in detail. The short version: parity laws prohibit discriminatory treatment of prosthetic claims, but they do not typically require coverage for activity-specific devices beyond functional daily use. That is the explicit carve-out the SEBCM legislation targets.

What SEBCM laws require

The legislation varies slightly by state, but the core requirement is consistent. A state-regulated health insurer must cover orthotic and prosthetic care that a licensed practitioner prescribes as medically necessary for an activity the patient needs or wants to perform.

The word “necessary” gets re-anchored to the individual’s life, not to a baseline functional floor. If a physiatrist or orthopedic surgeon writes a letter of medical necessity for a running blade, a sport-specific socket, or an activity liner, a plan subject to SEBCM law cannot deny that claim solely because the device is activity-specific.

SEBCM laws typically cover not just prosthetics but also orthotic devices. A child who needs a custom ankle-foot orthosis for adaptive sports is included alongside an adult with limb loss.

Which plans are covered

This is the same structural limit that applies to general parity laws.

SEBCM legislation applies to state-regulated health plans: fully insured employer plans, ACA marketplace plans, and state Medicaid programs (in states where the legislature has extended the requirement to Medicaid). It does not apply to self-funded employer plans. Those fall under federal ERISA law and are exempt from state insurance mandates.

Large employers almost always self-fund their health plans. If your insurance card says “administered by” a carrier but the employer is bearing the insurance risk, SEBCM law probably does not apply to your plan. To find out: ask HR or your benefits administrator whether the plan is “fully insured” or “self-funded.” They are required to tell you.

If you are on a self-funded plan, federal law does not require activity-specific coverage, and most plans do not provide it. Your options there are prior authorization appeals, second-opinion letters, and, in some cases, a single-case agreement negotiated with the plan through your prosthetist.

What “medically necessary” means in SEBCM states

The standard shifts but does not disappear. Medical necessity still requires documentation. What changes is the baseline for what counts as necessary.

Under SEBCM legislation, a practitioner can argue medical necessity based on the activities the patient is attempting and the device’s functional role in those activities. A person who runs recreationally can be documented as needing a running blade to engage in that activity safely. A child in an adaptive sports program can be documented as needing equipment appropriate for that program.

Documentation that tends to support these arguments:

A letter of medical necessity from the prescribing physician specifying the activity and the device category
Clinical notes on the patient’s activity level, rehabilitation goals, or participation in adaptive programs
A functional assessment from a prosthetist explaining why a daily-use device cannot safely perform the required activity
A K-level assessment. K3 codes for community ambulators who can traverse environmental barriers; K4 codes for high-activity users including athletes. A K3 or K4 classification already documents above-baseline activity, which strengthens a medical necessity argument for activity-specific devices. If your K-level classification does not reflect your actual functional level, ask your prosthetist to document a reassessment before the prior authorization request goes in.

If your state has a SEBCM law

First confirm your plan is state-regulated (see above). If it is, the path follows standard prior-authorization procedures:

Get a letter of medical necessity from your prescribing physician. Be specific about the activity, the device category, and why the device is medically necessary for your participation.
Have your prosthetist submit a prior authorization request with that letter attached, along with supporting clinical documentation.
If the plan denies the request, file an internal appeal and cite your state’s SEBCM statute by name.
If the internal appeal fails, file a complaint with your state insurance commissioner’s office, citing both the statute and the insurer’s written denial.

Citing the law explicitly changes the stakes of a denial. The SEBCM statute does not guarantee approval: an insurer can still deny on grounds other than “activity-specific.” But operating outside the law carries regulatory exposure that a well-documented appeal makes harder to ignore.

The current list of states with passed SEBCM legislation is maintained by the campaign at moveunited.org.

If your state does not have a SEBCM law

As of late 2026, the campaign’s goal is thirty states by the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. The long-term target is all fifty states plus federal legislation. The American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association committed $1 million to the campaign through November 2028 to fund continued state-level advocacy.

Until that coverage arrives, the options for people in unprotected states:

General parity frameworks still apply. A well-documented denial appeal can still succeed even without SEBCM backing, particularly if the insurer applies standards to prosthetic claims that it would not apply to other surgical or durable medical equipment claims.
Some employer plans include activity-specific device language in their evidence of coverage even without a legal mandate. Check the plan document.
Veterans covered by the VA system have separate, and generally broader, coverage for activity prosthetics under VA policy.
Grant programs including the Challenged Athletes Foundation and similar nonprofits fund activity-specific devices outside of insurance.

People interested in the legislative effort can find state campaign contacts and advocacy resources at moveunited.org.

This guide is general information about how state insurance laws work. It is not individualized legal, insurance, or benefits advice. Coverage outcomes depend on your specific plan, state, and clinical documentation.