ASHA Advocate: October 18, 2024
October 18, 2024
Upcoming ASHA Advocacy Webinars
Dive into conversations about the upcoming election and potential impacts on ASHA members; discover coding and billing updates coming in 2025; and learn more about the new civil rights regulations in health care with ASHA Advocacy’s upcoming free live webinars! Live webinar attendees can earn professional development hours for each course.
- Election 2024: Pre-Election Policy and Political Forecast - October 22, 7-8 p.m. ET
- Navigating New Civil Rights Regulations in Health Care: What Audiologists and SLPs Need to Know - October 29, 7-8 p.m. ET
- Navigating 2025: Your Roadmap to Audiology Coding and Billing Success - November 6, 7-8:30 p.m. ET
- Navigating 2025: Your Roadmap to Speech-Language Pathology Coding and Billing Success - November 13, 7-8:30 p.m. ET
Recapping ASHA’s 2024 Payer Summit
In late September, ASHA held its annual Payer Summit to discuss the state of the professions, advocate on key issues, and gather information from insurers to improve our provider resources. Attendees included representatives from private insurance and utilization management companies, state Medicaid agencies, and Medicaid managed care organizations. Staff presented member concerns, brainstormed ways payers can better support audiologists and SLPs, and considered ways ASHA can help streamline interactions between providers and payers. We look forward to the positive impact these discussions and relationships will make on ASHA members! Learn more here.
UHC Expands Prior Authorization Requirements
Despite our efforts, UnitedHealthcare (UHC) has not agreed to rescind its 100% prior authorization requirement for speech-language pathology services policy, and it has now expanded the requirement to include Medicaid managed care plans effective October 1, 2024. Given that UHC will not be pausing or ending this program in the immediate future, ASHA has created a feedback form to learn about member experiences with the UHC prior authorization process and a patient fact sheet [PDF] to help facilitate conversations about this process. We will continue to fight this policy alongside our association partners (including the American Occupational Therapy Association, the American Physical Therapy Association, the National Association of Rehabilitation Providers and Agencies, and ADVION.
Congress Could Consider Bill to Boost Retirement Benefits for Certain Workers
Are you one of the more than 2.5 million Americans—including audiologists and SLPs—who have had their Social Security benefits reduced or eliminated due to the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset? If so, you should know that the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82) would get rid of these penalties that reduce your retirement benefits. H.R. 82 already has the support of 330 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and could be voted on by the full House of Representatives before the end of the year. Email your representative today and urge them to support H.R. 82!
Join ASHA and NSSLHA for Student Advocacy Day
Join ASHA and the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA) for Student Advocacy Day on October 24! This all-day virtual event gives CSD students (and their supporters) the opportunity to band together and advocate for a cause as a group. This year, we’re targeting student loan debt by asking Congress to support the Student Loan Interest Elimination Act. Join us in urging your legislators to support this important legislation!
Bonus: Check out the recorded conversation between ASHA’s Government Affairs and Public Policy Board Chair, Arynn Byrd, and National NSSLHA Vice President for Government Affairs and Public Policy, Chanel Hudson, as they offer tips on advocacy.
ASHA and Michigan Advocates Secure $5.5 Million Medicaid Increase
Advocacy win! As a result of ASHA and Michigan Speech Language Hearing Association advocacy, the Michigan legislature appropriated a $5.5 million increase for speech-language pathology codes in 2025, resulting in a 23% rate increase across all codes for which we requested increases. The payment increase will apply to services provided in private practices, nursing facilities, and outpatient facilities (including hospitals, rehabilitation agencies, and comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facilities/CARFs).
Working for You
- Advocacy win! Following a wave of advocacy outreach from ASHA, the Connecticut Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and providers, Anthem Connecticut has announced that it will not move forward with a deeply concerning shift to a capped payment structure for speech-language pathology services. We will continue to track outcomes
- ASHA Advocacy joined advocates from the American Academy of Audiology and Academy of Doctors of Audiology on Capitol Hill to discuss improving Medicare coverage of audiology services.
- ASHA staff participated in 23 fundraisers in September for congressional candidates who support ASHA’s federal legislative priorities.
- Facilitated a strategic planning session with the Washington Speech-Language-Hearing Association to identify short-term and long-term strategies for achieving its goals.
- Submitted a letter [PDF] to the New Mexico Speech-Language-Hearing Association SLP Assistants (SLPAs) Task Force supporting SLPA licensure. The licensing board approved the language, so bill drafting for the upcoming legislative session will begin next.
- Provided feedback to the Kansas Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s leadership on draft SLPA licensure language. This will guide the work of the association as it moves toward drafting legislation.
- Hosted a State Education Advocacy Leaders call focusing on salaries and contract language for California SLPs.
- Held an Assistants Member Advisory Group meeting to continue discussions on issues impacting assistants across the states.
- Helped secure 233 cosigners on a congressional “Dear Colleague” letter [PDF] asking House leaders to stop Medicare payment cuts and provide better annual payment rates.
Spotlight!
ASHA’s Advocacy and Schools staff members Doanne Ward-Williams and Tiffany White presented with State Education Agencies Communication Disabilities Council President Michelle Woodcock at the National Association of State Directors of Special Education Annual Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The presentation focused on improving recruitment and retention of speech-language pathologists to support student outcomes and was attended by state directors and state education agencies’ staff.
