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ASHA is aggressively working with Congress and other therapy organizations to develop a viable alternative to the Medicare therapy caps. The two-year moratorium on the caps is set to expire at the end of 2005. Without congressional intervention, speech-language pathology and physical therapy will again share a $1,750 financial limitation on Medicare Part B outpatient services for each beneficiary as of January 1, 2006.
ASHA's goal in any new payment alternative is to:
- Recognize speech-language pathologists as suppliers under the Medicare program, thus allowing them to bill from a private practice;
- Allow for proper assessment and treatment of Medicare beneficiaries with complex needs in settings such as skilled nursing facilities; and
- Maintain speech-language pathology services as a separate Medicare benefit.
Please contact your Members of Congress immediately through ASHA's Take Action Web site and request that they support legislation that would:
- recognize speech-language pathologists as suppliers of Medicare services by separating SLPs and PTs in the outpatient Medicare statute ( S.657); and
- repeal the therapy caps (H.R. 916 and S. 438).
For further information, please contact Stefanie Reeves, ASHA's Director of Political Advocacy, via e-mail at federal@asha.org.
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