An invitation to ArSHA members and ASU students to participate in the Channel 8/KAET-TV December pledge drive.
I am searching for a group of ArSHA members and ASU audiology and speech-language pathology students who would like to volunteer a small amount of their time to help with the Channel 8/KAET-TV December pledge drive.
We are scheduled to participate on Wednesday, December 2 from 5:45-10:30 pm at the Tempe Studio on the ASU campus. This is a live event. Groups are typically 10-15 participants. Training, parking, and food are provided within the shift.
Please consider participating in this public service activity to not only support public television but also to raise awareness of audiologists and speech-language pathologists.
Please join us in this venture. Just email me at labrozzik@cox.net to express your desire to participate.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Karen LaBrozzi
ArSHA Public Relations Chair
Medicare Audit in Arizona
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs) to Begin Auditing Medicare Claims in October
After a three-year demonstration project, Medicare Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs) will begin audits this fall that include ASHA member services. The RACs were mandated by the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 to identify improper payments made on health care services claims.
Audits of interest to speech-language pathologists have been approved for RAC Regions C –South and D- West for late summer/fall by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS); claims paid on or after October 1, 2007 will be screened in an automated process to detect when “untimed” procedure codes were billed more than once per day. The common speech-language pathology codes for evaluation and treatment of speech-language and dysphagia disorders are untimed, meaning that the code as one unit represents a session, regardless of the session length. While the RACs are free to examine most outpatient settings, including physician practices, hospital clinics will be the main focus. According to an earlier CMS demonstration project, hospitals have been lax in establishing edits to identify faulty claims and have not adequately trained practitioners in coding.
The states will initially be limited to: Region C - Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina; and Region D - Arizona, Montana, North and South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. Additional information on the audits can be found on the CMS Web site (http://www.cms.hhs.gov/RAC).
Audiologists should also be ready for RAC audits. During the demonstration project RACs recovered $1.4 million for overpayment of vestibular function testing in Florida.
The current RACs are contracted to receive a bounty of 9 to 12.5% of the overpayments collected and underpayments found. For further information, contact Mark Kander, ASHA’s Director of Health Care Regulatory Analysis, at mkander@asha.org or 301-296-5669.
4th Annual Workshop In Honor Of James Case Workshop
Monday, 21 September 2009
The Early Bird Registration Deadline is this Friday!
Please find below the promotional material and registration form for the 4th Annual Workshop in Honor of James Case. Please share with friends and colleagues.
For the first time, we are able to offer online registration for the workshop – to register online please use the following link: http://shs.asu.edu/caseworkshop. Online registration is available for credit card payments only.
To register by mail, complete the registration form and return it with your payment.
The Department of Speech & Hearing Science at Arizona State University 4th Annual Workshop in Honor of James Case Professional Development Series
October 10, 2009
John C. Rosenbek, PhD University of Florida Gainesville, FL
Practicing Dysphagia in 2010
Practice in dysphagia is evolving quickly. Rehabilitation is replacing compensation for nearly all patient populations. The evidence base for rehabilitative techniques is growing. The attitude that tubes are a treatment is in retreat. Patient desire and quality of life are as important, and sometimes more important than are an institution or practitioner’s assumed risk. These topics will be developed with patient examples and against the background of a realization that the speaker, like many members of the audience, will have clinical responsibilities on Monday a.m. after the conference.
New Ethics Chair
Monday, 24 August 2009
If you have any issues or questions pertaining to professional issues, please contact Kim Farinella, Ethics Chair, at ethics@arsha.org.
SLPA Licensure Now Available
Monday, 03 August 2009
It is with great pleasure that we are able to bring you information on two important developments surrounding the licensing of Speech-Language Pathology Assistants (SLPA). Please click on the following link and see two downloadable PDF files with the details of these developments and the initial application: http://www.azdhs.gov/als/hadisp/index.htm.
Second Annual ArSHA Night at Chase Field
Saturday, 18 July 2009
The Second Annual ArSHA Night at Chase Field was held on Friday, July 10. As well as enjoying the DBack's game and the "all you can eat section"; we also had an ArSHA information table. We answered questions, distributed ArSHA pamphlets, and passed out ear buds. Thank you to the attendees who supported ArSHA.
Karen LaBrozzi, ArSHA Public Relations Chair
IOM Lists Hearing Loss Among Top 25 Priorities
Monday, 06 July 2009
This week, an Institute of Medicine (IOM) panel released its 100 Initial Priority Topics for Comparative Effectiveness Research. Listed within the top 25 was a recommendation submitted by ASHA to compare the effectiveness of the different treatments for hearing loss in children and adults, especially individuals with diverse cultural, language, medical, and developmental backgrounds.
The recommendations were developed in response to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), which provided funding of 1.1 billion to begin comparative effectiveness research and called on the IOM to develop research priorities. Although the priorities are not official policies of the IOM, the recommendations will likely influence where funding dollars will be allocated. There has been no additional information on which, if any of the top priorities will be funded, and how funds will be distributed for research.
For more information on comparative effectiveness research and IOM activities, please contact Rob Mullen, ASHA's Director for the National Center for Evidence Based Practice in Communications Disorders, at RMullen@asha.org. For additional information related to ARRA, please contact Ingrida Lusis, ASHA's Director of Federal and Political Advocacy, at ilusis@asha.org.
Sincerely, Katie Bromley American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Director, Grassroots and Congressional Advocacy
Save The Date: James Case Professional Development Series
Thursday, 25 June 2009
Practicing Dysphagia in 2010 John C. Rosenbek, PhD
University of Florida Gainesville, FL
Date: October 10, 2009
Practice in dysphagia is evolving quickly. Rehabilitation is replacing compensation for nearly all patient populations. The evidence base for rehabilitative techniques is growing. The attitude that tubes are a treatment is in retreat. Patient desire and quality of life are as important, and sometimes more important than are an institution or practitioner's assumed risk. These topics will be developed with patient examples and against the background of a realization that the speaker, like many members of the audience, will have clinical responsibilities on Monday a.m. after the conference.
Arizona state Medicaid program, AHCCCS, has proposed eliminating many covered tests and procedures for the adults covered by AHCCCS. One part of the proposed cuts include BAHA’s and cochlear implants. A study was commissioned by AHCCCS to analyze the cost of various procedures and the number of persons served or impacted by these procedures. This study concluded that the elimination of BAHA and CI’s from AHCCCS coverage would have NO impact.
