ASHA Advocate: September 15, 2022
September 15, 2022
The Top Line
ASHA is pleased to announce that our annual Student Advocacy Day will occur virtually on Thursday, October 6! ASHA will collaborate with National NSSLHA and provide opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students nationwide to engage their members of Congress on topics of critical importance to the professions, including efforts to diversify graduate programs and support workforce shortages of school-based professionals. Learn more here, and please spread the word!
ASHA Partners with Members on Comments to CMS on Proposed Outpatient Medicare Payment Policies
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) accepted public comments through September 6 on its proposed rule for the 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. ASHA submitted its comments [PDF] focusing on several key areas including telehealth, caregiver training, payment cuts, and access to audiologists. To help amplify our concerns on two specific proposed changes, ASHA called on audiologists and speech-language pathologist (SLPs) to join our efforts. We thank the 356 audiologists who sent letters to CMS with suggestions on improving access to audiology services; and the 2,403 audiologists and SLPs who signed onto a joint letter [PDF] informing CMS of the impact proposed payment reductions would have on accessing their services. ASHA members are still needed to contact their members of Congress and ask them to support legislation to mitigate the impact of these cuts.
Effort to Expand Access to Audiology Services Garners New Supporters
The Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act (H.R. 1587/S. 1731) picked up new congressional supporters as Representatives Andre Carson (D-IN) and Tom Emmer (R-MN) cosponsored the bill, bringing the total number of House cosponsors to 52. The bill would give Medicare beneficiaries more timely and robust access to services provided by audiologists. Take action now to support this legislation!
Working for You
- The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (H.R. 1195/S. 4182) requires the U.S. Department of Labor to issue workplace violence prevention standards to protect health care and social service workers, including audiologists and SLPs. Take Action today by contacting your Senators and asking them to support S. 4182.
- ASHA supports bipartisan legislation that would reduce barriers to access and services for students with disabilities as they transition to college. The Respond, Innovate, Succeed, and Empower (RISE) Act of 2021 (H.R. 4786/S. 2550) would streamline the process for certifying disability status and help ensure necessary and appropriate accommodations for student success. The bill awaits further action by both the House and Senate.
- ASHA sent a letter to Senate leaders [PDF] urging passage of a two-year extension for current telehealth flexibilities that allow audiologists and SLPs to provide telehealth services to Medicare beneficiaries. The House has already passed legislation to provide the two-year extension. Support continues to build for ASHA endorsed legislation, the Expanded Telehealth Access Act (H.R. 2168/S. 3193), which would add audiologists and SLPs as permanent Medicare telehealth providers. The effort to expand telehealth authority gained momentum with release of a report from the HHS Inspector General [PDF] that found only 0.2% of Medicare claims for telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic were at high risk of being fraudulent. See also: Medicare Telehealth Services During the First Year of the Pandemic: Program Integrity Risks (Video). Take action now to support permanent telehealth authority for audiologists and SLPs!
Spotlight!
Thank you, Dee, for your ongoing leadership and leading efforts to ensure fair and equitable payment for audiology and SLP services under Medicare!
"Every member of ASHA has a voice to advocate for our profession. As a member of ASHA’s Health Care Economics Committee, it’s a privilege to use my voice to promote speech-language pathologists as qualified health care providers, defend procedure codes unique to our profession, and seek equitable value and payment for the services we provide."
—Dee Adams Nikjeh, PhD, CCC-SLP, Co-Chair, Health Care Economics Committee
