2006 Focused Initiatives

Focused Initiative: Reimbursement in Health and Education

First Quarter Progress Report (January-March)

For each of the 2006 Focused Initiatives, a work plan that includes the strategies to be completed in 2006 was developed. During the 1^st quarter of the year, the strategy implementation teams initiated activities necessary to complete the strategies by the dates indicated. View the 2006 work plan for each Focused Initiative. The following report highlights some of the actions that were initiated during the 1^st quarter and includes information on the status of all strategies included in the work plan at the end of the 1^st quarter. 

1st Quarter Highlights

• The following ASHA Healthcare Economics and Advocacy Team (HEAT) publications have been updated for 2006: Health Plan Coding & Claims Guide; Negotiating Health Care Contracts and Calculating Fees; Getting Your Services Covered.
• An overview of Private Health Plans has been posted on the ASHA Web. Topics include coverage, reimbursement, appealing denials, and determining fees.
• The 2006 Model Superbill for Speech-Language Pathology Services, the 2006 Model Superbill for Audiology Services and the Model Health Care Benefits for Speech, Language, and Hearing Services have been updated to reflect code changes.
• Letters are being sent to Fortune 500 companies, Taft-Hartley health and welfare plans, and selected associations representing human resource/employee benefit managers to recommend they include coverage for speech-language pathology and audiology programs and services in their health benefits packages.
• An article titled, "Treating hearing loss – and covering the cost" was published in the Spring 2006 issue of Children's Hospitals Today. The article includes a discussion of the issues surrounding reimbursement for pediatric speech and hearing services.
• The ASHA product catalog contains new products to support audiologists in their provision of audiologic rehabilitation services including, "Hearing and Learning: A Guide for Helping Children;" "Fingertip Facts: What every SLP needs: Knowledge about Hearing;" "Learning to Hear Again with a Cochlear Implant."
• The Academic Affairs unit has taken the information from the March 2005 issue of "Access Audiology" on audiologic rehabilitation adults and incorporated the information into a curriculum guide posted on the Academic Affairs Web site.
• The following information related to Medicaid has been posted on the ASHA Web site: Q & A: Medicaid Payment for School-Based Services that summarizes the new regulatory requirements for "under the direction of" for audiologists and a summary of 5 recent HHS Office of the Inspector General Reports based on four states.
• The School Finance Committee (SFC) is developing a display to promote the SFC ASHA Web page resources for attendees at the Schools Conference. A Web-based survey on school finance was developed and is being piloted in April, 2006. The survey will be fielded to a random sample of 2,000 audiologists and speech-language pathologists who are employed as clinical service providers on a full time basis in a school setting.

There are 37 strategies in the Reimbursement in Health and Education work plan.  Following is the status for the 1^st quarter.