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On Monday, June 2, Senator Max Baucus, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, released information on a draft Medicare proposal that is considered to be a starting point for negotiations with Senate Republicans and the White House. Included in the proposal is language to recognize a speech-language pathologist's ability to bill from a private practice and a provision permitting audiologists to participate in the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI). The proposed bill also would extend the therapy cap exceptions process through 2009, avert a 10 percent reduction in Medicare Part B reimbursement rates, and provide for a half percent update to the Medicare fee schedule in 2009.
In releasing the proposal, Senator Baucus indicated that he intends to have a final bill for the Senate to consider early next week, June 9. Congress is on a tight deadline and must pass Medicare legislation by June 30, in order to avert drastic cuts to the Medicare physician fee schedule and extend the therapy cap exceptions process. The proposal must still gain support from Republicans in order to ensure passage. Senate leaders and the White House appear to still be at odds over the total cost of the legislation and what cuts would have to be undertaken to off-set the larger cost items, such as the Medicare fee schedule fix.
ASHA is pleased that SLP supplier status and audiology recognition under PQRI are part of the Senate Finance proposal. Supplier status provision was also included in the House of Representative's bill that passed last summer. We will continue to work with the Senate and House to ensure that all provisions impacting speech-language pathologists and audiologists remain in the final measure. For further information, please contact Ingrida Lusis, ASHA's Director of Federal and Political Advocacy, via e-mail at ilusis@asha.org or by phone at 202-624-5951.
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