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Unless Congress acts during an upcoming lame-duck session, in less than 50 days, Medicare beneficiaries in need of outpatient therapy services will, once again, be subject to the arbitrary limits imposed by the therapy caps. The exceptions process imposed by Congress as part of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 is set to expire December 31, 2006. The combined SLP-PT therapy cap of $1,780 for 2006 will have a significant impact on Medicare beneficiaries whose conditions require extensive outpatient therapy services.
ASHA continues to lobby Congress urging not only extension of the therapy cap exceptions process, but also for inclusion of legislative language requiring the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to develop an alternative payment policy which will more accurately take into account the patients’ need for therapy. In addition, ASHA will continue to press Congress to pass a provision allowing speech-language pathologists in private practice to bill Medicare for their services.
By visiting ASHA's Take Action Web site, you can send an e-mail or letter in a few minutes urging your legislators to extend the Medicare Therapy Caps Exceptions Process. Your continued e-mail, calls, and letters are needed to help keep these issues before Congress. For additional information, please contact Elizabeth Mundinger, ASHA’s Director of Federal and Political Advocacy, at emundinger@asha.org or by phone at 800-498-2071, ext. 4473.
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