Medicare Payment for Outpatient Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Services
The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System
ASHA provides information on payment for audiology and speech-language pathology Medicare services provided in all outpatient settings, including in-depth analysis of relevant policy changes and national payment rates.
On this page:
- News and Updates
- The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule
- The Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System
News and Updates
- Medicare Issues 2025 Proposed Payment Policies for Outpatient Services (7/17/2024)
- Medicare Issues 2025 Payment Policy Proposals for Outpatient Hospital Departments (7/17/2024)
- Take Action! The payment cuts are set to return in 2025. Contact your members of Congress to ask them to improve Medicare payment rates.
- Please continue to monitor this site or sign up for ASHA Headlines for important Medicare updates.
Get all the latest policy and payment news.
The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS)
Audiology and speech-language pathology services under Medicare Part B (outpatient) have reimbursement rates established by the MPFS regardless of provider setting, except for outpatient audiology services provided in hospitals. ASHA provides information on the MPFS for audiologists and SLPs, including in-depth analysis of relevant policy changes and revisions to the fee schedule, Medicare Part B payment rules, geographic adjustment calculations, and new developments each calendar year. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updates the fee schedule annually for implementation on January 1.
Analysis of the 2024 MPFS
ASHA's analysis of the 2024 MPFS provides an overview of relevant policy changes and calculates the updated national average payment amounts for audiologists and SLPs, including a comparison with 2023 payment rates to help clinicians estimate the impact of the Medicare cuts.
- Updated! 2024 Medicare Fee Schedule for Audiologists [PDF]
- Updated! 2024 Medicare Fee Schedule for Speech-Language Pathologists [PDF]
Take Action! The payment cuts are set to return in 2025. Contact your members of Congress to ask them to improve Medicare payment rates.
Analysis of the 2023 MPFS
- 2023 Medicare Fee Schedule for Audiologists [PDF]
- 2023 Medicare Fee Schedule for Speech-Language Pathologists [PDF]
Understanding the Medicare Fee Schedule
- Overview of the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule
- Calculating Medicare Fee Schedule Rates
- The Medicare Quality Payment Program
- Audiology Payment Rules
- Speech-Language Pathology Payment Rules
The Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS)
Medicare pays for hospital-based outpatient audiology services under the OPPS. Speech-language pathology services performed in hospital outpatient clinics are billed fee-for-service through the MPFS, with the exception of a few CPT codes not classified as “always” or “sometimes” therapy codes. CMS updates the OPPS annually for implementation on January 1. For information on 2024 updates, see Medicare Finalizes Payment Updates for Outpatient Hospital Departments for 2024.
