ASHA members are needed to advocate in support of new legislation that allows audiologists and speech-language pathologists to be reimbursed by Medicare for providing services through telehealth technology. The Medicare Telehealth Parity Act of 2015 (H.R. 2948) was introduced by Representatives Mike Thompson (D-CA), Gregg Harper (R-MS), Diane Black (R-TN), and Peter Welch (D-VT). This is similar to telehealth legislation introduced in the 113th Congress by Representatives Thompson and Harper.
Please write your Representative and request that they cosponsor this important legislation!
Background
Currently, Medicare only reimburses for telehealth services that are administered in rural counties and health shortage areas in metropolitan fringes with the patient located at a health facility/“originating site”. Telehealth services may only be administered by a select group of practitioners, none of whom are audiologists or speech-language pathologists.
This legislation is the latest bill addressing telehealth services in the Medicare program in the 114th Congress. ASHA members visiting Washington, DC, to meet with their members of Congress were successful in lobbying for the inclusion of audiologists and speech-language pathologists the last version of this legislation in 2014 as providers of telehealth services under Medicare. The next step is to garner support from other Representatives to help move this bill forward. Contact your Representative today!
ASHA Contact
For more information on this legislation, please contact Sam Hewitt, ASHA's director of political advocacy, at shewitt@asha.org or 202-624-5961.
