Look at What We've Accomplished 2008–2009

ASHA...Working With You

Advocacy

• Allied with National Business Group on Health to recommend broader coverage of member services in their Health Plan Model for self-insured Fortune 500 member-companies
• Congressional victory allows SLPs to bill Medicare directly
• Secured new diagnostic codes for voice and resonance disorders and for stuttering and dysarthria as late effect disorders of cerebrovascular disease
• Won professional work valuation for audiology procedures, moving them from the technical practice expense category to the professional category
• Initiated moving speech-language pathology procedures from the practice expense category to the professional work category
• Secured new procedure code for canalith repositioning

Improving Coverage for Patients

• Obtained coverage of AAC devices and SGDs in 2 BCBS companies with 4.7 million subscribers by convincing them to remove exclusions for patients with autism and other pervasive developmental disorders
• Obtained expansion of federal employee health benefit plan:
  • for adults—hearing aids and cochlear implants;
  • for children—SLP and audiology services
• Administered grants to five state associations to improve coverage/reimbursement from private health plans and Medicaid
• Gained Medicare coverage of osseointegrated and auditory brainstem implant procedures, devices, and programming

Helping You Get Paid

• Won change in CPT code billing rule for a company with over 475,000 subscribers to bill the same day for evaluation and non-duplicative treatment sessions
• Obtained salary supplements for ASHA certified school-based members
• Improved reimbursement for cochlear implant diagnostic programming
• Convinced a Medicare regional payer to allow coverage of traditional dysphagia treatment even though non-covered electrical stimulation is performed in the same session

For the Professions

Strengthening the Professions

• Commemorated the 40th anniversary of the Office of Multicultural Affairs—adding Spanish translations to ASHA's consumer section of the Web site and developing resources to enhance members' cultural competence
• Provided mentoring programs for more than 50 emerging scientists to improve their grant writing and reviewing skills
• Surpassed the 200,000 cases milestone for the Adult National Outcomes Measurement System (NOMS)

Raising Awareness About the Professions

• Reached millions through awareness campaigns, public service announcements, interviews, and podcasts
• ASHA and Parents' Choice Foundation formed a national coalition of leading children's musicians to promote safe listening of personal audio technology. Staged Listen To Your Buds concerts that entertained thousands and garnered national media attention
• Distributed information to hundreds of media markets about SLPs' role in child speech and language development
• Began a joint effort with National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders to encourage children to protect their hearing from noise

For a Better Tomorrow

Providing You the Tools You Need to Succeed

• Reviewed and registered 16,000+ courses for ASHA CEUs offered by more than 525 ASHA-approved continuing education (CE) providers
• Issued 3,800+ CE awards and offered 150+ live and self-study CE courses
• Held cutting-edge meetings—Schools, Health Care/Business Institute, and the Audiology Virtual Conference—for record numbers of members

Helping You Stay Connected

• Redesigned the ASHA Web site and enhanced the search engine capability
• Launched Papers in Press to make newly accepted journal manuscripts available well before final publication

Where do your dues dollars really go?

• Professional Practices & Education 27%
• Communication & Member Services 12%
• Research 10%
• Public & Government Relations 13%
• Standards (includes certification & accreditation) 8%
• Governance (councils, boards, commitees) & Support Services 30%

ASHA Makes a Difference!

• Nationally recognized certification
• Access to the latest research
• A proven track record on critical legislative and regulatory issues at all levels of government
• Professional consultation with staff experts
• Latest knowledge and information from fellow CSD professionals
• A wealth of online resources
• Tools for marketing our professions to consumers
• Access to robust continuing education
• Unparalleled networking opportunities
• Participation in building the positive image of the professions
• Improved patient outcomes
• National standard for academic program accreditation
• Rigorous ethical standards
• Opportunity to impact the future of the professions through grants and scholarships
• A place to enhance leadership skills

 Learn more.

You Can Make a Difference!

• Be a lifelong member of ASHA…renew annually!
• Support the ASHA-PAC and ASHFoundation.
• Get involved—join a committee, Special Interest Division, or your state association.
• Promote the professions in your community.
• Peer review an ASHA document.
• Submit an article to The ASHA Leader.
• Become a mentor on ASHA's online mentoring portal, The Gathering Place.
• Become a grassroots advocate.

To renew your membership, go to the renewal page, enter your 8-digit ASHA number and last name, and select the login button.

For further information, or if you have any questions, please contact the Action Center at 800-498-2071.

"For nearly 85 years, ASHA members have worked for and contributed their time and expertise to this organization and the professions. Your commitment has made ASHA a leader in research and professional development, and the most trusted resource for millions of individuals with communication disorders."

Sue T. Hale, CCC-SLP
ASHA's 2009 President