ASHA Advocate: January 19, 2023

2023: The Year Ahead

The member-driven 2023 Public Policy Agenda serves as the foundation for ASHA’s advocacy efforts by defining the priorities each year. Advocacy is how we work towards positive changes for audiology and speech-language pathology and successful advocacy relies on ASHA’s 223,000 members taking an active role.

For 2023, we have identified nearly 40 goals to advance the public policies impacting audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and those you they serve. These goals fall into five categories and include both longstanding issues and some new ones.

Health Care

• Work toward a long-term policy solution to prevent future Medicare cuts.
• Advocate for permanent telehealth authority under Medicare, state Medicaid programs, private insurance, and state practice acts.
• Create member resources that demonstrate successful participation in value-based care models.
• Reintroduce and advocate for legislation that gives Medicare beneficiaries access to audiologists and their services.

Schools

• Advocate for a federal technical assistance center for communication disorders to help school-based clinicians.
• Work with stakeholders at the state level to promote using workload—rather than caseload—as the model for school-based SLPs.
• Advocate for across-the-board salary supplements in school districts.

Professional Practice

• Assist in launching the Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact and promote the legislation in states that have yet to adopt it.
• Work with state associations and licensure boards to ensure appropriate licensing review for audiologists and SLPs and that only professionals with appropriate academic and clinical training are providing audiology and speech-language services.
• Advocate for legislation that ensures appropriate workspaces and reduces workplace violence.

Client, Patient, and Student

• Work to ensure enforcement of Medicaid’s EPSDT (Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment) benefit.
• Educate policymakers and payers on the impact of over-the-counter hearing aids on consumers, audiologists, and hearing health services.
• Engage allied stakeholders on the future of the EHDI (Early Hearing Detection and Intervention) program.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

• Develop resources that increase awareness of different linguistic systems and their impact on service delivery.
• Advocate for implementation of the Allied Healthcare Workforce Diversity Act (P.L. 117-328), which supports students from underserved backgrounds.
• Develop resources to ensure clinicians can provide services consistent with client, patient, and student gender identity.
• Identify and develop resources that demonstrate the impact of social determinants of health on people with communication disorders.

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