2007 State & National Legislative News

• Congress Completes Massive 2008 Federal Funding Bill (December 26, 2007)
• Congress Defers Medicare Fee Schedule Cuts & Therapy Caps for 6 Months (December 26, 2007)
• Senate Approves Bill to Improve Newborn Screening (December 20, 2007)
• Senate Passes Legislation Reauthorizing the Traumatic Brain Injury Act (December 19, 2007)
• Bush Nominates Tracy Justesen as Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (December 18, 2007)
• Final 2008 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Released by CMS (December 05, 2007)
• Advocacy Campaigns Show Broad Support for Therapy Cap Exceptions Process (November 09, 2007)
• New Team Conference CPT Codes Available in 2008 (November 09, 2007)
• OSERS Announces Grant Competition for Multi-Year IEP & Paperwork Waiver Demos (November 09, 2007)
• ASHA Contests Intermediary Policy Disallowing Group Treatment in 3-Hour Rule (November 07, 2007)
• Urge Congress to Stop Scheduled 10% Cut to Medicare Payment Rates (November 07, 2007)
• House Passes Higher Education Act Extension Until May 1, 2008 (October 29, 2007)
• New CPT Cognitive Testing Code for 2008 (October 29, 2007)
• ED Submits 27th Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of IDEA (October 26, 2007)
• ED Awards $14 million to States to Assess Students with Disabilities (October 26, 2007)
• Senate Passes 2008 Education, Health & Labor Funding Bill (October 25, 2007)
• Stop the Therapy Caps Call-In Days: October 31 & November 1 (October 24, 2007)
• ASHA's Medicaid/IDEA Side-by-Side Now Available (October 18, 2007)
• 2007 Nation's Math and Reading Report Card Released (October 09, 2007)
• IDEA Issue Brief on Uses of Special Education Funds Available (October 08, 2007)
• President Vetoes Children's Healthcare Legislation, Medicare Provisions Not Included (October 06, 2007)
• New Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) Position Statement Available (October 02, 2007)
• Audiology "Back the Schools!" Advocacy Campaign (October 01, 2007)
• Reminder for Audiologists – New ICD-9-CM Codes Take Effect October 1 (September 24, 2007)
• CMS Proposes 2008 Outpatient Hospital Rates (September 24, 2007)
• ED Awards 32 Early Reading First Grants for 2007 (September 24, 2007)
• State of the States (September 24, 2007)
• New Dysphagia Diagnosis Codes Begin in October (September 18, 2007)
• Back to School Advocacy Campaign (September 17, 2007)
• Back to School Statistics (August 30, 2007)
• CMS Releases Congressionally Requested Report on Audiology Direct Access (August 24, 2007)
• CMS to Allow Charges for Missed Medicare Appointments (August 13, 2007)
• CMS Releases Final IRF & SNF Payment Rules (August 10, 2007)
• U.S. House Passes SCHIP-Medicare Bill (August 02, 2007)
• Payment Increase Proposed for Rehabilitation Hospitals; 75% Rule on Course (August 01, 2007)
• SCHIP–Medicare Bill Advances in House (August 01, 2007)
• ASHA Submits Comments to ED on 2007 IDEA Part C Proposed Rules (July 23, 2007)
• House Approves FY2008 Health & Education Spending Bill (July 23, 2007)
• ASHA Wins ASAE's Prestigious Summit Award (July 17, 2007)
• School-Base SLPs Included in New Student Loan Forgiveness Program (July 16, 2007)
• Provide Your Input into ASHA's 2008 Public Policy Agenda (July 09, 2007)
• CMS Proposes 90-Day Medicare Speech-Language Pathology Recertification Period (July 09, 2007)
• Medicare Recognizes Professional Work Values for Audiologists (July 05, 2007)
• ASHA’s 2007 State Policy Workshop Well Attended (June 25, 2007)
• National Call-In to Congress Planned on SLP Supplier Status (June 25, 2007)
• Meet with Your Federal Legislators in August and Earn CEUs (June 25, 2007)
• SEALs Meeting at ASHA Schools Conference 2007 (June 25, 2007)
• House Subcommittee Begins FY2008 Education & Health Funding Process (June 21, 2007)
• Second Set of Issue Briefs on IDEA Part B Final Regulations Available (June 21, 2007)
• ICD-9-CM Revisions for Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Approved (June 18, 2007)
• Revisions Proposed to Therapy Payment Methodology for Home Health Agencies (June 12, 2007)
• ED Provides Details of IDEA Part C Public Regional Meetings - Speakers Needed (June 04, 2007)
• Hearing Screenings Provided at National Press Club & Capitol Hill (June 04, 2007)
• ASHA Conducting Practice Information (PI) Survey for Audiology (May 29, 2007)
• ASHA Releases Summary of NCLB 2% Final Rules for Students with Disabilities (May 22, 2007)
• Hearing Aid Tax Credit Legislation Takes Center Stage During Better Hearing and Speech Month (May 17, 2007)
• Medicare SNF Payments to Increase in 2008 (May 17, 2007)
• ASHA Works to Increase EHDI Funding (May 16, 2007)
• ED Releases Long-Awaited Proposed Rules on Part C of IDEA (May 09, 2007)
• Employment Non-Discrimination Act Introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives (April 30, 2007)
• IDEA Part C Proposed Rules Clears OMB (April 30, 2007)
• Senators Harkin & Hagel Introduce IDEA Full Funding Bill (April 26, 2007)
• ASHA Applauds Introduction of Medicare HEAR Legislation (April 25, 2007)
• IES Announces FY2008 Grant Competitions (April 19, 2007)
• ASHA Urges Congress to Increase IDEA & EHDI Funding (April 18, 2007)
• NCES Releases Statistics on Special Education Services (April 17, 2007)
• ED Releases NCLB 2% Final Rule (April 16, 2007)
• OPM Encourages Federal Employee Health Plans to Include Comprehensive Pediatric Hearing Benefit (April 13, 2007)
• New Federal Funding Approved to Expand National Children's Study (April 05, 2007)
• OSEP Clarifies Number of IDEA Issues for SLPs (April 03, 2007)
• Revised Medicare Therapy Student Policy is Rescinded (April 03, 2007)
• U.S. House of Representatives Pass Stroke Prevention Bill (March 30, 2007)
• Action Alert: Co-Sponsors neeeded for EHDI Senate Legislation (March 30, 2007)
• ASHA Leaders Lobby Capitol Hill for Direct Access to Audiologists (March 29, 2007)
• ASHA Leaders Lobby Capitol Hill for SLP Supplier Status (March 29, 2007)
• ASHA Leaders Advocate for Professions on Capitol Hill (March 29, 2007)
• Maryland Legislature Approves Universal Licensure for Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists (March 29, 2007)
• House Subcommittee Approves Stroke Bill (March 23, 2007)
• ASHA Submits Comments on Draft SLP Local Medicare Coverage Policy (March 14, 2007)
• ED Extends Pre-Application Deadline for FY2007 Early Reading First Competition (March 08, 2007)
• ASHA Releases Issue Briefs on IDEA Final Regulations (March 05, 2007)
• CMS Proposes Minimal Rate Increase for Long-Term Care Hospitals in 2007-2008 (February 13, 2007)
• New Medicare Requirements for Hospital Inpatient Supervision of SLP Students (February 11, 2007)
• ASHA Urges President Bush for Additional IDEA Funding in FY2008 (February 08, 2007)
• ED Sponsors Supplemental Educational Services Regional Workshops (February 06, 2007)
• Action Requested: Senate Co-Sponsors Needed for SLP Supplier Status Bill (January 29, 2007)
• CMS to Distribute Second Annual Medicare Provider Satisfaction Survey (January 23, 2007)
• ASHA Comments on IDEA Part D National Activities Comprehensive Plan (January 22, 2007)
• Congressional Budget Office Estimates 10% Cut in 2008 Medicare Fee Schedule (January 22, 2007)
• ASHA to Conduct Health Professional Practice Information Survey (January 19, 2007)
• CMS Issues Guidance on Therapy Cap Exceptions Process (January 04, 2007)