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Every August, United States Senators and Representatives leave Washington, DC, for the August District Work Period in order to return to their home districts or states and visit with you!
Each ASHA member has two senators and one representative. Those legislators will be making decisions this autumn that significantly impact speech-language pathologists and audiologists. For instance, Congress is expected to pass a Medicare bill before the end of the year which makes August a key time to urge your representatives to include language that would allow speech-language pathologists in private practice to get reimbursed by Medicare.  It is also an important time to ask Congress to allow Medicare beneficiaries direct access to audiologists. Congress is also expected to make final decisions on the fiscal year 2008 funding level for the Individuals with Disabilities Act which imparts school-based speech-language pathologists.
Be a Leader
- Write your senators and representative on an issue impacting you, your community, and your profession. Visit ASHA's Take Action Web site and let your legislators know what issues impact you!
- Make a visit to your legislators in their home district office and advocate for a change that will help your profession. Information on how to set up and prepare for a meeting can be found on ASHA's Make a Visit to Your Legislators page.
- Support ASHA's Champions on Capitol Hill (ASHA Members Only). Information on ASHA PAC can be found on ASHA's PAC Web site.
Thank you for your advocacy—every voice counts!
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