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Christine Donatone's recent letter "Discouraged by Dues" (Jan. 18) struck a chord with me. I do understand her feelings of frustration concerning the SLP fees we pay-fees that our teaching colleagues do not pay-yet we are often on the same salary scale. I do not know if this is applicable in her school setting, but I do have a suggestion that may encourage some school districts to take a more proactive look at those fees.
Last year, for the first time, our Medicaid intermediary asked for our Illinois Department of Professional Regulation (IDPR) license number. Because of our SLP licensure and enmeshed CCCs my district was able to bill at a higher medically based rate for Medicaid reimbursement. This was quite a strong persuasive edge in our favor because suddenly our "extra fees" took on a different hue: higher SLP credentialing equals more funding to the district. We sought and received the support of our local teacher union to request that both fees be board-paid. Since the administration could now make a direct connection between our fees and increased reimbursement, this request made sense to both the administration and the school board. Our CCC renewal/ASHA fees ($200 yearly) and IDPR license fees ($100 every other year) are now being paid by our local district.
Peg Flach
Bethalto, IL
pgslp@yahoo.com
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