ASHA Advocate: January 25, 2024

2024: The Year Ahead

The 2024 Public Policy Agenda (PPA) identifies ASHA’s top advocacy priorities for the year. Based on input shared by members, ASHA’s Government Affairs and Public Policy Board developed the priorities based on three primary areas of focus: (1) workforce, (2) payment and coverage, and (3) service delivery and access.

We appreciate the input provided by ASHA members to help guide the development of the 2024 PPA, and we look forward to your active engagement and advocacy in support of these priorities. Partner with us in Advocacy TODAY! Visit ASHA’s Take Action site and send a prewritten email to your elected officials on issues impacting the professions and the people we serve.

Take Action Now

2024 Advocacy Priorities

Workforce

• Expanding opportunities to grow and diversify the audiology and speech-language pathology workforce
• Promoting working environments that facilitate safe and effective service delivery
• Supporting statewide salary supplement legislation for educational audiologists and school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who hold ASHA’s CCCs to receive additional compensation for maintaining them
• Developing additional advocacy tools for school-based practitioners to self-advocate at the local and district level
• Ensuring appropriate recognition of and support for educational audiologists and school-based SLPs and advocating for policies that facilitate efficient and effective service delivery for students with communication disorders in schools

Payment and Coverage

• Pursuing equitable funding and establishing policies to support the timely identification, evaluation, treatment, and management of speech, language, feeding/swallowing, cognitive, hearing, and balance disorders
• Including audiologists and SLPs in emerging health care delivery systems as payment and coverage trends move from fee-for-service to value-based care
• Expanding and permanently covering telehealth services provided by audiologists and SLPs

Service Delivery and Access

• Supporting anti-discriminatory policies and practices that could impact audiologists and SLPs working with people who have communication disorders
• Promoting initiatives that support screenings in hearing loss and communication disorders, collaboration and engagement of parents/ caregivers, and the education of decision makers on services provided in early intervention settings
• Operationalizing the Audiology & Speech- Language Pathology Interstate Compact (ASLP-IC) and continuing to add states participating in the ASLP-IC

Follow ASHA Advocacy on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). Your voice and engagement matters!

2023: Celebrating Successes!