ASHA Advocate: September 27, 2024
September 27, 2024
Another Step Toward Extended Telehealth Authority
Advocacy win! The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee approved a bill called the Telehealth Modernization Act [PDF] last week that includes a two-year extension of Medicare telehealth authority for audiologists and speech-language pathologists (SLPs).
While this is another important step toward our ultimate goal of achieving permanent telehealth authority for audiologists and SLPs, our job is not done! The House and Senate will need to act on this extension before December 31 in order for Medicare beneficiaries to maintain access to telehealth services beyond the end of this year.
Since the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) did not include audiology and speech-language pathology telehealth services in its 2025 proposed rule, ASHA’s Advocacy staff and members are fighting hard for audiologists and SLPs to be able to provide telehealth services in 2025 and beyond:
- We submitted a petition [PDF] with 4,432 signatures from audiologists and SLPs to CMS
- ASHA Advocacy submitted a comment letter to CMS [PDF] on the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule
- ASHA members sent over 360 letters to members of Congress urging them to support a telehealth service provision
- ASHA staff and volunteer members took to Capitol Hill to speak with federal legislators about a variety of topics, including permanent telehealth authority.
It’s unlikely that additional congressional action on telehealth will happen before the November elections, which gives us more time to continue advocating!
Thank you to every advocate who has supported telehealth! Your voices are helping to make a difference. If you haven’t already, join our advocacy efforts and Take Action now!
Did you know? Many insurers model Medicare’s guidelines, which means Medicare’s telehealth coverage—continuing or ending—could impact what other payers decide to do in 2025.
Fighting Medicare Payment Cuts
ASHA—along with a coalition of organizations representing physician and nonphysician clinicians—has sent a letter [PDF] to congressional leaders imploring Congress to add an annual inflationary update to Medicare Physician Fee Schedule payments. This update would help reimbursement for outpatient audiology and speech-language pathology services by keeping pace with practice cost inflation and providing much-needed stability to Medicare payments. ASHA Advocacy also submitted comments to CMS on the 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule [PDF] proposed rule.
Although the inflationary update would help Medicare payments, it does not solve the problem of ongoing payment cuts Medicare providers experience year over year. ASHA will continue working with stakeholders, CMS, and Congress to find a long-term solution. You can take action now by telling Congress to fix the fee schedule cut.
ASHA-PAC Board Strategizes Ways to Increase Engagement
The ASHA-PAC Board met last week and discussed ways to increase participation to augment resources for the advocacy the PAC supports.
Did you know that ASHA members who are U.S. citizens are the only ones who can contribute to the ASHA Political Action Committee (ASHA-PAC)? If you haven’t already, donate $100 or more by October 4 to be recognized at the PAC Reception and booth at ASHA Convention!
Health Care Economics Committee Visits Capitol Hill
Members of ASHA’s Health Care Economics Committee took to Capitol Hill last week to urge Congress to stop Medicare payment cuts and make audiologists and SLPs permanent Medicare telehealth providers.
A Day of Audiology Advocacy on the Hill
On September 10, ASHA’s Audiology Practices team, Chief Staff Officer for Audiology, and Federal and Political Affairs team hit Capitol Hill for a day of audiology advocacy. Together, they met with key congressional offices to build support for expanding Medicare coverage of audiology services, stopping Medicare payment cuts, securing permanent Medicare telehealth authority, and improving screening for Cytomegalovirus.
ASHA is Working for You
- Submitted comments [PDF] to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee outlining ASHA’s concerns about the impact of health care consolidation on the patients and the professions.
- Participated in congressional meetings with members of SIG 6 (Hearing and Balance Sciences: Research and Clinical Applications) to build support for expanding access to services provided by audiologists.
- Developed an infographic on How a Need Becomes a Federal Law to help members more easily understand the federal legislative process.
- Joined members of the IDEA Full Funding Coalition in sending a letter to the Office of Management and Budget urging the administration to propose meaningful increases in IDEA funding in its fiscal year 2026 budget proposal.
- Attended the Committee for Education Funding’s annual gala honoring House Majority Whip Katherine Clarke (D-MA) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME).
- Sent a letter to the Department of Labor requesting a meeting to discuss delayed provider non-discrimination regulations.
- Participated in the American Medical Association’s Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Editorial Panel and Relative Value Update Committee (RUC) meetings to engage in the CPT code development and valuation process and represent the interests of audiologists and SLPs. Learn more about ASHA’s work on CPT codes and how it impacts you.
- Submitted comments [PDF] to the Pennsylvania Senate Banking and Insurance Committee to support HB 2268, which would require insurance plans to include coverage of habilitative and rehabilitative speech therapy treatment for childhood stuttering.
- Attended Center Forward’s 2024 Health Summit, which included an off-the-record conversation with key congressional staff from the Senate Finance Committee and the White House Domestic Policy Council about the near-term and future health care policy and political landscape.
Interested in seeing other comment letters ASHA has submitted? Visit our website.
Spotlight!
Kelly Ball, M.Ed., CCC-SLP, a member of the Government Affairs and Public Policy Board (GAPPB), recently hosted U.S. Representative Andrew Clyde (R-GA) at her practice to demonstrate the benefits and importance of services provided by SLPs. Kudos to Kelly for meeting with Rep. Clyde’s staff when the GAPPB was in Washington, D.C. this summer to draft the 2025 Public Policy Agenda and convincing him to see firsthand the positive impact speech therapy has on individuals with communication disorders. Rep. Clyde highlighted his visit in his weekly district round-up newsletter.
