You are being invited to participate in a research study about ABA therapy and speech-language pathology. This study is being conducted by Elizabeth Brochin, Erica Brown, Karen Corcoran, Brandi Sears and Dr. Vicki Hammen, from the Communication Disorders program at Indiana State University. This study is being conducted as part of a graduate student project for our research methods class.

There are no known risks if you decide to participate in this research study. There are no costs to you for participating in the study. The information you provide will give us a better understanding of SLPs experiences with ABA. The questionnaire will take about 10-15 minutes to complete. The information collected may not benefit you directly, but the information learned in this study should provide more general benefits.

This survey is anonymous. We will not be collecting any identifying information, such as IP addresses; however, it is not possible to guaranteed absolute anonymity over the Internet. No one will be able to identify you or your answers, and no one will know whether or not you participated in the study.

Your participation in this study is voluntary. By clicking on the link below you are voluntarily agreeing to participate in this survey. You are free to decline to answer any particular question you do not wish to answer for any reason.

Please feel free to forward this on to any other SLPs you know that would be willing to participate in this survey.

Click below for the link:

SLP Experiences with ABA Therapy

We greatly appreciate you taking the time to complete our survey.  If you have any questions about the study, please contact: Dr. Vicki Hammen, Communication Disorders Program, 311B University Hall, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN 47809; Phone: 812-237-2805; email: Vicki.Hammen@indstate.edu

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Brochin, Erica Brown, Karen Corcoran, Brandi Sears

Important update for Coding Cognitive Services with Medicare and Medicaid

On 1/1/18 the code 97532 will no longer be used

• Medicaid will replace 97532 with 97127
  
• Medicare will replace 97532 with G0515
• Both of these new cognitive codes are session codes and not time based codes. 

Watch for more updates as soon as they become available.

You'll find in the link below a non-regulatory, optional speech-language guidance document that has been developed by an ISHA school-based task force for districts to use when considering best practice and eligibility/dismissal decisions for students.  What impacts caseload size is a complex issue, but it was found that districts (nationally and locally) who have used similar guidance have more reasonable caseloads than districts who don't have guidance considerations.  This document also emphasizes that caseload is just one part of a SLP's responsibilities in schools.  The range of roles that the SLP has in schools needs to be considered for the SLP to work most collaboratively with other general education and special education professionals, as well as to work toward supporting positive outcomes for all students.

Please contact directly the task force members below with any questions, thoughts, and/or comments that you may have about the document.  We will develop a FAQ document to share-out the collection of questions / responses.  There will also be a session at ISHA's Spring Convention (in April 2018) to address the development and implementation of the document. 

Christina Bradburn (cdbradburn@shelbycs.org)--ISHA VP of Speech-Language Pathology

Kara Landis (klandis@bsu.edu)--ISHA Task Force Co-Chair

Rachel Ross-Kroemer (rross-kroemer@gcsc.k12.in.us) --ISHA Immediate Past-President

This guidance document has also been reviewed by ICASE Executive Committee members, input provided, and collaborative updates made to the document.  This document was also shared with the IDOE's Office of Special Education for review.  

Speech-Language Guidance Document.pdf

Hi all,

SIG 13 will be hosting a live chat on reimbursement for dysphagia on Monday, October 23 from 8-10pm ET. More details can be found at the link below.

http://www.asha.org/Events/live/10-23-2017-Reimbursement-Dysphagia/

I hope you will be able to attend!

------------------------------
Sarah Warren, MA
Director, Health Care Regulatory Advocacy
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
2200 Research Boulevard
Rockville, MD 20850
301-296-5696
swarren@asha.org

We are excited to share with you our newsletter for the Purdue Aphasia Research Laboratory and the newly created Aphasia Group!  We wanted to highlight some of our recent events (Purdue Aphasia Boot Camp, Aphasia Support Group), research updates, and achievements.  Please feel free to share with your friends and colleagues!

Click here to access the newsletter.

Your 60-Second Advocacy Update

Tools You Can Use – Looking for telepractice/telesupervision requirements in your state? New webpages are now available for each state including laws and regulations to assist members in this area. Visit your state's page to learn more.

Making an Impact – Last week, ASHA members sent over 7,600 emails to Congress opposing Medicaid block grants and preserving habilitation and rehabilitation services as essential health benefits in health care reform legislation. Thanks for speaking out!

Working for You

ASHA collaborated with state associations to encourage outreach to their Senators in expressing concern about certain provisions in the Senate health care reform bill, Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA). Concerns included a reduction in Medicaid funding, repealing federally-mandated essential health benefits, and promoting the interstate sale of health plans.

• 
  
• U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) pulled an important vote on the BCRA before a scheduled week-long recess over the Fourth of July. Senate leaders continue to negotiate the health care legislation, but it is unclear whether the Senate will have the necessary votes (52) to bring the bill to the Senate floor.
  
• 
  
• The U.S. Department of Education is requesting public comments [PDF] on regulations that may be appropriate for repeal, replacement, or modification in keeping with President Trump's Executive Order, ''Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda.'' ASHA staff are reviewing the notice and will submit comments by the August 21, 2017, deadline.
  
• 
  
• The U.S. Department of Education has announced [PDF] its intention to establish two negotiated rulemaking committees to prepare proposed regulations for the Federal Student Aid programs authorized under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended.
  
• 
  
• The June 27, 2017, Congressional Briefing on the Value of Rehabilitative and Habilitative Services and Devices [video] was organized by 60 national groups, attended by over 150 people, included presentations from two members of Congress and five advocates, and ended with coalition visits to 48 Senators.
  
• 
  

Fast Fact

460 people supported ASHA's Thunderclap to preserve access to rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices. The message reached over 22,250 people through social media. Learn more about Thunderclap.

What is ASHA Advocacy? Speaking out personally and professionally for communication, a human right that is accessible and achievable for all!

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires all non-grandfathered health insurance plans offered in the small group and individual markets, both in and outside of the marketplace, to provide benefits for 10 essential health benefit (EHB) categories. Habilitative and rehabilitative services and devices is one of the EHB required categories. These services are vital in helping clients with speech, language, cognition, swallowing, and hearing/balance/tinnitus disorders to achieve, acquire, maintain, or regain skills to improve functional communication outcomes.

Request your members of Congress to reject efforts to eliminate coverage for habilitative and rehabilitative services and devices from legislative efforts to repeal, replace, or reform the Affordable Care Act.

Learn More: 

https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/58383-hab-rehab-services-and-devices?locale=en

6/6/2017

Hello,                                                                                                

This is Jennifer Freeman, your Indiana representative with the ASHA State Advocacy for Medicare Policy Network (StAMP).  I wanted to share some of the discussion from the June 6, 2017 StAMP goto meeting.  Our topic was Medicare Advantage programs (MA) and was led by Kate Ogden from ASHA.  We discussed the tremendous marketing that MA programs use and how they “promise the moon.”  Many consumers don’t understand the difference between traditional Medicare and a MA.  Many consumers with MA think they have traditional Medicare.  Frequently these consumers are fine until a major medical event like a stroke or surgery and then they need a skilled rehab stay.  Frequently that rehab stay is only approved until they can walk 50 feet and transfer to toilet. 

The 2017 Medicare Advantage Summit hosted by the Better Medicare Alliance (BMA) was discussed.  Check out their website for more information. 

ASHA is seeking information about problems we as providers are having with Medicare Advantage coverage.  Please let me know if you have an issue to share.    ASHA is developing an informational handout for providers and consumers about Medicare and MA programs.  I will share when they become available.

Advocating for Indiana,

Jennifer Freeman, MA CCC-SLP

jennfreeman@bluemarble.net