LC Membership Forum. Speak to the entire LC at 8:15 a.m., Saturday, November 18, at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel.
Speech-Language Pathology/Speech or Language Science Assembly Membership Forum. Saturday, November 18, at 12:10 p.m. at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel.
Audiology/Hearing Science Assembly Membership Forum. Saturday, November 18, at 12:10 p.m. at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel.
Forms must be submitted by close-of-business Thursday, November 2, 2006
Unable to attend the Convention…
The LC is also offering members another way to participate—by e-mail.
If you are unable to attend the Convention, please submit your written comments by Thursday, November 2, as follows:
Your message should be no more than 500 words.
If you would like your comments to go specifically to the Audiology/Hearing Science Assembly or the Speech-Language Pathology/Speech or Language Science Assembly, please designate that in your message.
All written comments from members will be posted on the ASHA Web site and distributed to the Legislative Council.
CMS Proposes 3.1% Increase in 2007 Payment Rates to Home Health Agencies
Friday, 18 August 2006
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has published proposed rates for home health agencies for calendar year 2007. The 3.1% proposed increase applies to the base rate for each 60-day episode and reflects the estimated home health market basket inflationary rate. Under the home health prospective payment system (PPS), rates are higher for patients identified as having greater care needs. The base episode rate for 2007 is proposed at $2334 (before case-mix adjustment). The case-mix adjustment for each 60-day episode is determined by a comprehensive patient assessment tool, the OASIS (Outcome Assessment Information Set). Added to the episodic rate is a "high-therapy case-mix adjustment" of approximately $2,500 if a patient receives at least ten therapy visits.
MedPAC Report to Congress Cites NOMS & Need for SLP Medicare Provider Number
Wednesday, 21 June 2006
As part of its June report to Congress entitled “Increasing the Value of Medicare”, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) called for better data collection by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in order to assess a beneficiary’s need for outpatient rehabilitation services. MedPAC reviewed four assessment tools for the purposes of the report, including ASHA’s National Outcomes Measurement System (NOMS), in Chapter 6 of the report entitled, “Toward Better Value in Purchasing Outpatient Therapy Services”. The other three tools were predominately physical and occupational therapy oriented and used patient-self reports. MedPAC recognized that patient self-report tools would be clinically inappropriate for beneficiaries receiving speech-language pathology (SLP) services.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed fiscal year (FY) 2007 rates for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) in the Federal Register on May 15, 2006. The rates are per stay and vary according to primary diagnosis, comorbidities, and functional status.
A 0.5% overall increase in payments is proposed. This updating of rates is not directly related to the “75 percent rule” which has been challenged by the rehabilitation hospital industry, but affirmed in the Deficit Reduction Act.
CMS Urges All Health Providers to Apply for a National Provider Identifier (NPI)
Sunday, 28 May 2006
Effective May 23, 2007, a National Provider Identifier (NPI) will be required for all electronic claims. Speech-language pathologists and audiologists who file claims electronically or use a clearing house for that purpose must obtain an NPI by this date. All health care providers are encouraged to apply for an NPI even if they currently do not file claims electronically.
Speech-language pathologists and audiologists can learn more about NPI and how to apply by visiting www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalProvidentStand/. CMS has indicated that it will update this page with new information and recourses as they become available.
The Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization Act (S. 1955) was recently pulled from the Senate calendar after a vote to limit debate on the bill failed 55 to 43. Although ASHA believes that Congress should enact legislation that makes health insurance more affordable for small business owners and their employees, it opposed two provisions of the bill that would be detrimental to individuals receiving speech-language pathology and audiology services ─ preemption of state mandates and differentiation in premiums.
The legislation would have created new health insurance plans that would not be required to provide state mandated coverage of speech-language pathology or audiology services, such as screening and early intervention for newborn hearing loss, hearing aids, and autism-related services. After years of fighting to enact these health care safeguards on a state level, S. 1955 could have preempted these state mandated covered services.
House Passes 2007 Budget Resolution, Increases Made to Critical Programs
Tuesday, 23 May 2006
After weeks of delay, the House of Representatives narrowly passed its budget resolution, in a 218-210 vote, with 12 Republicans joining all Democrats voting against it. The resolution now moves to a House-Senate conference to reconcile differences between the bills.
Letters, e-mails, faxes, and calls from ASHA members in concert with other concerned groups generated thousands of letters and prevented the House leadership from securing the votes needed to rubber-stamp the budget earlier this year. Due to pressure from members like you, and broad concerns over dramatic cuts in critical education and health programs, moderate House Republicans opposed the budget and forced the House leadership to negotiate with them to accommodate their demands.
Reward Yourself with a Career as a School-Based Speech-Language Pathologist
Wednesday, 10 May 2006
NEW SCHOOL BROCHURE AVAILABLE FOR ASHA MEMBERS
ASHA has developed a new brochure, “Reward Yourself with a Career as a
School-Based Speech-Language Pathologist,” developed to entice high
school students to choose a career as a school-based speech-language
pathologist (SLP), attract college graduates to school settings, and to
help career SLPs choose school-based practice. The brochure highlights
the benefits of choosing a career as a school-based SLP and why schools
are an attractive work setting. The brochure can be a good tool to
promote school practice at career awareness presentations and career
fairs, to use when promoting the professions, or to use to recruit
prospective employees. It was developed under the 2006 FI on Personnel
Issues in Healthcare and Education.
New Speech, Language, & Hearing Milestones: Birth to Age Five DVD Covering
children from birth to age five, this new DVD is full of examples of
normal speech, language, and hearing development and tips on when to seek
treatment from speech-language pathologists and audiologists.
This message is to inform you that the March-April SLP Practices Update is now available on the ASHA website at: http://www.asha.org/members/slp/updates/. The SLP Practices Update is a bimonthly posting about ASHA's Speech-Language Pathology practice-related activities. The SLP Practices Update is prepared as an ASHA member benefit. Dissemination to other individuals, state associations or other organizational newsletters, and electronic mailing lists is encouraged. The information contained in the update may be reprinted without permission.
CMS Proposes Payment Changes for Inpatient Hospital Services
Wednesday, 26 April 2006
On April 25, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a notice of proposed rule making that will significantly change the way the agency develops payment policies under the Inpatient Hospital Prospective Payment System (PPS). The proposed rule can be viewed at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/AcuteInpatientPPS/downloads/cms1488p.pdf.
If implemented as proposed, the new payment methodology would revise payment rates for inpatient stays to be based on DRGs weighed on hospital costs versus hospital charges, and also would be adjusted to reflect the severity of the patient’s condition.
The Health Care Economics Committee held a conference call on April 13th. The committee discussed:
CPT Code 96116 Neurobehavioral Cognitive Status Exam which, when changed last year, was limited to use by psychologists and physicians. This change occurred as an editorial revision in closed door session, so ASHA became aware after it had happened. We are working to revise the definition to allow SLPs to use the code (they have used it in the past). Discussed strategy for addressing this issue.
ICD changes - The committee has been working on proposing changes in the ICD manual of diagnostic codes. Two ASHA staff members recently attended a meeting of ICD-9-CM Coordination and Maintenance Committee and an audiology sub-group has recommendations for submission. The SLP sub-group is soliciting input from the Special Interest Divisions
The committee has submitted two proposals for presentations at the ASHA Annual Convention in Miami.
Committee members are writing articles for a special issue of the ASHA Leader on reimbursement.
The audiology subcommittee is working on two new procedures for CPT: VNG and canalith repositioning. They are collaborating with AAA and other audiology organizations on this effort.
Please note that a table of innovative programs to address personnel vacancies in health care and education is available on the ASHA web site. Thank you to each ASHA member that submitted information regarding the creative approaches that you are utilizing to address personnel vacancies in different venues across the country.
I do hope that all are surviving the monsoons. It is a nice change to get
all this moisture, but there is a problem of getting too much of a good
thing.
ELECTIONS
Elections for the Executive Board and Legislative Council are currently
underway and will continue until September 9. You have the choice of voting
by paper ballot or electronically at https://www.escvote.com/asha2005. It is
quick and easy and your vote is very important to the organization.
The SLP Practices Update is a bimonthly posting about ASHA's Speech-Language Pathology practice-related activities. The SLP Practices Update is prepared as an ASHA member benefit.
Leadership/Clinical Conference
Friday, 24 June 2005
The 12th Annual Division 4 Leadership/Clinical Conference is fast approaching! This year's conference will be held at the charming Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge, MA from the evening of Wednesday, August 3 through the afternoon of Saturday, August 6.
Registration material is available on the ASHA website and it has recently been mailed to those of you in Division 4. For those of you who have not yet registered for the conference, the Steering Committee wanted to provide a bit more information about the specific topics that will be addressed.
ED Announces IDEA Public Meeting Date Change, Locations Provided
John H. Hager, assistant secretary of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) at the U.S. Department of Education (ED), has announced that the date for the IDEA public meeting in San Antonio, TX which was originally scheduled for June 6, 2005 is now rescheduled for Thursday, July 7, 2005. The date change comes after the recent acknowledgement that the IDEA proposed regulations have been delayed and expected to be released during the first or second week of June 2005.
The ASHA Continuing Education Board has recognized the following
professionals in the state of Arizona who have earned an Award for
Continuing Education (ACE) from October 1, 2004 through December 31, 2004.
This award is for individuals who earn 7.0 ASHA CEUs within a 36-month
period.
Alice P Armbruster - 12/28/2004
Patricia Clees -12/14/2004
Anthony B. DeFeo - 10/12/2004
Virginia L Dubasik - 10/05/2004
Cynthia C Fraher - 10/30/2004
Frances P Harris - 11/09/2004
Dawna Julian - 12/28/2004
Richard C Katz - 11/23/2004
Jeffrey Lewis - 11/23/2004
Rosemarie J O'Gorman - 11/23/2004
Karen J Ong - 12/14/2004
Katherine B Ross - 11/16/2004
SLP Practices Update
Tuesday, 08 March 2005
This message is to inform you that the January-February 2005 SLP Practices Update is now available on the ASHA website. The SLP Practices Update is a bimonthly posting about ASHA's Speech-Language Pathology practice-related activities. The SLP Practices Update is prepared as an ASHA member benefit. The information contained in the update may be reprinted without permission.
