The 2024 Public Policy Agenda (PPA) identifies ASHA’s top advocacy priorities for the year. Based on input shared by members, ASHA’s Government Affairs and Public Policy Board developed the priorities based on three primary areas of focus: (1) workforce; (2) payment and coverage; and (3) service delivery and access.
The PPA provides a framework for ASHA’s advocacy on behalf of its members and to allow the Association’s Government Affairs and Public Policy team to develop specific actionable objectives to make meaningful progress in these areas.
ASHA’s ongoing advocacy efforts focus on ensuring that licensing and certification requirements are maintained in states across the U.S.; supporting the ability to practice to the fullest extent of one’s education and training; and preserving the critical role of audiologists and SLPs across work settings as well as productivity standards that support clinical excellence, ethical practice, and high quality service delivery.
For 2024, we are enhancing efforts to help address the shortage of practitioners that often contributes to high workloads, burnout, and dissatisfaction across work settings by
Data that matters: Between 2021 to 2031, audiologists’ employment is projected to grow 10% and SLPs’ employment is expected to grow 21%.
ASHA continuously engages with regulators and key decision makers—including public (Medicare, Medicaid) and private payers—on payment and coverage policies that reflect the value and full scope of audiology and speech-language pathology services as well as the training and expertise of our members.
For 2024, advocacy efforts address policies that limit client/patient access to care due to (1) unsustainably low payment rates for services provided by audiologists and SLPs and (2) inadequate coverage for their evaluation and treatment services. We are advocating for the following key priorities:
Data that matters: In 2023, 53% of clinicians reported accepting out-of-pocket payment from patients for telehealth services because they were not covered by insurance.
ASHA monitors and responds to legislative and regulatory changes that could impact licensing and certification requirements and/or the scope of practice for audiologists and SLPs as well as for audiology and speech-language pathology assistants. We also work to advance policies that create an environment conducive to efficient and effective service delivery that broadens access to critical services that audiologists and SLPs provide.
For 2024, ASHA is working to address barriers that impede the ability of audiologists and SLPs to provide robust and inclusive access to care by
Data that matters: ASHA’s membership does not mirror the U.S. population of communities served. That reality limits the ability to train students, serve clients, and conduct research.
As a practitioner, the professional perspectives and personal stories that you share can have powerful effect. By coming together as ASHA members, leadership, and staff, we have a stronger voice and can effectively educate, inform, and influence lawmakers, policymakers, and other decision makers to take actions that benefit the professions as well as the clients, patients, and students we serve.
You can become informed and involved in a number of ways. Becoming an effective advocate is easy and takes very little time!