By Jamie Mulraney, Megan Molnar, & Heidi Dennison
Connect with your Future by Advocating for Telehealth Services It is an exciting time to be a student studying speech-language pathology. As a profession, we are able to better serve clients than in the past due to the expansion of technology. Because of tele-health services, speech-language pathologists can provide services to clients who might not otherwise have access to them. What is the issue? Why is it important? Currently, professionals cannot receive reimbursement for tele-health services through Medicare. Because of this, those who rely on Medicare to cover the cost of their medical expenses may not be able to have their speech, language, and/or swallowing needs met. There are two bills under debate in Congress regarding tele-therapy, The “CONNECT for Health Act of 2017” and “Medicare Telehealth Parity Act of 2017.” Both bills are very similar with a few minor differences. The “CONNECT for Health Act of 2017” will create new sites for tele-health care, develop a Medicare Remote Patient Monitoring benefit for certain patients (high-risk, high-cost), remove limitations on the use of tele-health, as well provider restrictions in Accountable Care Organizations and Medicare Advantage. This bill also aims to make it a priority for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to assess the appropriateness of tele-health in projects before the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). Finally, once restrictions are lifted, a study will be conducted to analyze the effectiveness of tele-health services. Also according to ASHA’s website, the “Medicare Telehealth Parity Act of 2017” will phase in the expansion of tele-health services in several notable ways.:The bill aims to increase the number of qualified providers, ultimately increasing the number of services available to the public. These professionals include: , audiologists, speech/language pathologists, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists. Another goal of the bill is to eliminate geographical impediments that are currently in place under current law, and permit the facilitation of tele-health services in rural, underserved, and metro areas. This would increase accessibility to tele-stroke services regardless of geographical location, enabling remote patient monitoring (RPM) for clients with chronic conditions such as heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and diabetes. Finally, the bill will allow for the home of the client to be the site for which care is provided whether it be home dialysis, hospice care, eligible outpatient mental health services and home health services. How can you help?
2. Spread the word! Tell your friends/family etc. why this issue is important for society
https://takeaction.asha.org/Telehealth https://takeaction.asha.org/CONNECT
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By: Mariah Eberhart, Ronica Hensley, & Paige Riddick
What is the Steve Gleason Enduring Voices Act? What if you woke up one morning without the means to communicate with your family, friends, or co-workers? It would probably be terrifying! Many individuals deal with this on a daily basis and cannot communicate verbally, so they rely on devices to help them communicate with others. The Steve Gleason Enduring Voices Act makes speech generating devices (SGDs) available for continued use by Medicare recipients who qualify for the devices. The American Speech- Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) explains that SGDs are communication systems that allow individuals with degenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Parkinson’s disease, to communicate. Before this act was introduced, Medicare policy limited an individual’s access to these devices by placing a cap on reimbursement. The act was passed in 2015 to remove these limitations, and is currently being reviewed for renewal. The renewal of this act will allow individuals covered under Medicare services to have ongoing and permanent access to necessary speech generating devices. Why is it Important? The Steve Gleason Enduring Voices Act was built onto the Steve Gleason Act of 2015. It is important to note that the Steve Gleason Act of 2015 expires on January 1, 2019. Even though that date may seem far off for most, the legislative process of bills being signed into law tends to be a fairly lengthy one. It is crucial to urge members of the House of Representatives along with those from the Senate to pass this law to ensure that individuals continue to receive ongoing and permanent access to their personalized SGDs covered by Medicare. If this legislation expires, the bill will have to start over from the very beginning of the legislative process. This could leave SGD users without access to the devices they need. Previously, Medicare refused to pay for SGDs if users lived in a nursing home, hospice, or hospital. SGD users still needed a means of communicating in these settings, and many of those facilities were unable to provide individuals with a proper substitute. Medicare also prohibited devices equipped with non-speech functions, such as eye-tracking, which may be crucial for individuals with significantly reduced physical abilities (i.e., a patient with ALS). All of the above provisions were set forth by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS), and it was this agency that announced that changes had to be addressed through legislation rather than internally. According to ASHA, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are the only professionals with the ability to recommend Medicare covered SGDs through a formally written evaluation. SLPs work diligently to not only find the device the best suits the needs of their client, but they are also responsible for programming the device and training the client to use it for communication purposes. It is crucial that current and aspiring professionals advocate for this Act because our clients may be directly affected by the expiration or renewal of the Steve Gleason Act of 2015. What Can You Do? As you can see, the use of SGDs can be crucial to the way a person is able to communicate. In fact, some individuals would not be able to successfully communicate at all without the use of an SGD. It is of high importance that those who need one will have access to one on a daily basis in any setting. Here are some ways you can advocate:
The more active you are in your advocacy, the more awareness you will raise. Let your passion for this issue shine and get people excited! Welcome to the SLPAdvocacy.com Blog. Here you will find posts submitted by professionals, students, and consumers. These posts will highlight important legislative and policy issues in the speech-language pathology. To submit a blog post, email your entry to craig.coleman@marshall.edu!
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Craig Coleman, M.A., CCC-SLP, BCS-F (Editor)Archives
February 2019
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