ASHA Advocate: April 17, 2023

The Top Line

ASHA joined the Connecting to Coverage Coalition, a group of stakeholders collaborating to help minimize disruptions in health care coverage due to the unwinding of the COVID-19 federal public health emergency and the resumption of Medicaid eligibility verifications. As of April 1, 2023, state Medicaid programs can discharge Medicaid beneficiaries based on program eligibility criteria; thereby, halting the continuous enrollment Medicaid programs maintained during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more about Medicaid redeterminations and what providers can do to help their patients maintain access to health care coverage.

House Bill Introduced to Partially Address Medicare Payment Issues

ASHA has been pushing Congress to introduce a new bipartisan bill that would address a portion of Medicare Part B payment pressures that audiologists and SLPs are facing. Introduced on April 6, the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act (H.R. 2474) would adjust the annual Medicare provider reimbursement rate by an amount equal to the Medicare Economic Index (MEI), a key health care inflation measure. ASHA co-led efforts to secure introduction of this legislation, which represents one part of a broader effort to address inadequate Medicare Part B payment rates. ASHA will advocate for enactment of this and other measures to prevent Medicare payment cuts for services members provide.

Take action now to support this legislation

Working for You

• The Medicare Advantage plan final rule was released April 5. Several policies restricting the use of prior authorization, which ASHA supported in its comments on the proposed rule, were included. A full analysis of the rule is underway, and ASHA will develop resources to share how the rule improves patient access to care and minimizes administrative burden for audiologists and SLPs.
• Do you provide telepractice services? Watch the recording of SIG 18’s live chat on telepractice considerations for the end of the public health emergency to get the latest information on important payment and coverage issues to stay in compliance with state, federal, and payer requirements.
• If you see patients with Medicaid, ASHA staff have posted a blog to help you learn about important considerations for cash or private pay arrangements with Medicaid beneficiaries.
• ASHA submitted comments on the Office of English Language Acquisition’s [PDF] request for information regarding what practices are currently being used to recruit, hire, train, and retain interpreters and translators for services within early childhood through secondary educational setting.
• The National Academies of Practice Annual Forum was held in Washington, DC, and ASHA staff attended the event focusing on advocacy for payment policies that facilitate interprofessional collaborative practice and education.
• In response to the higher education negotiated rulemaking notice, ASHA submitted written comments on behalf of the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) [PDF], and ASHA’s accreditation officer provided verbal testimony on Wednesday, April 12.
• Legislation has been introduced in states that require coverage for hearing instruments and bone conduction devices. ASHA was recently contacted by a journalist to further discuss this legislation, and particularly Washington HB 1222 [PDF], that would provide coverage for hearing instruments and bone conduction devices and was supported by ASHA and the Washington State Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Spotlight!