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elcome to MSHA's website, the official website of the Massachusetts Speech-Language-Hearing Association. On these pages, we hope that you will be able to find the information you are seeking concerning professional issues, connecting to colleagues and our Association.
This expanded website will provide more information, more resources and more direct links to MSHA's Executive Council. We now have a member's only section with online sign-up and renewal capability, an online member directory and a discussion forum. We have recently added pages for Speech-Language Pathologists in Health Care, and information about the use of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology assistants. We are continuing to add new content each quarter.
If you are a consumer, we hope to provide you with useful information about Speech, Language, Hearing and Swallowing Disorders. You can also look for a qualified Audiologist or Speech-Language Pathologist by using our Public Referral Directory.
If you are a Speech-Language Pathologist, Audiologist or Speech-Language Scientist who is not currently a member, we would like to have you join us. Click on the tab marked Membership for our on-line application. MSHA now offers a rolling membership year, so join at any time, and get a full year membership with all of its benefits.
The Massachusetts Speech-Language-Hearing Association was established
in 1949 to realize the founding philosophy of providing persons in the
fields of human communication disorders with the opportunity to
establish common standards, to exchange information and ideas, and to
act as a strong, unified voice for upgrading the profession within our
state. MSHA is a recognized professional association for audiologists
and speech-language pathologists by the American
Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA.)
MSHA is committed to serving the needs of our colleagues and advocating for the needs of individuals affected by communication and swallowing disorders. We are your voice on Beacon Hill, and your resource for information about legislative issues on the federal level. We represent your interests and your needs across the state and across practice settings. Please consider joining us today.
Suzanne M. Harris, MS CCC-SLP
MSHA President
Information about House Bill 2110: Please contact your State Representative!!!!!!
The information below is from oral testimony provided in opposition to House bill 2110, An Act Relative to Speech-Language Pathologists. Many people have requested a reminder about the bill and what it would do, as a way of explaining why MSHA is so opposed to the bill. We need broad based, grassroots support for our position- the integrity of your licensure as a Speech-Language Pathologist or Audiologist is at stake.
If you would like to review the text of the bill itself, go to www.mass.gov. Go to the General Court page and search for H2110.
Thank you for your help- we all need to work together to ensure that consumers are protected from the unlawful practice of unqualified people. If you have further questions, do not hesitate to contact GAC chair April Izzi, or President Suzanne Harris.
House Bill 2110
House Bill 2110 would provide an outlet for those who have been illegally engaged in practice as a speech pathologist or audiologist since 1983 or before, to potentially obtain a license. It waives the requirements that all other ethical professionals in the commonwealth must adhere to and puts patient care at risk.
Why we are opposed to this bill
- It represents an attack on the integrity of our professions and minimizes the complexity of the services we provide;
- It demeans the value of professional licensure in general, as it is doubtful that this regressive tactic would be acceptable to other professions within the Commonwealth;
- It bypasses the specific authority of the Board of Registration, whose sole purpose is to maintain consistency and high standards in protecting the consumers of the state;
- It provides for no oversight regarding who can apply under the bill, nor does it define “actively engaged in practice”;
- It rewards the behavior of those who have exhibited blatant disregard for the law and the standards governing their profession;
- It does not respect the changes that have occurred in the professions, including the significant expansion in scope of practice and preferred practice patterns;
- It does not provide any limits on the kind of practice someone who might be granted a license in this context could provide;
- It violates language in the No Child Left Behind Act that requires services be implemented by the highest qualified provider;
- It is contrary to the requirements of CMS, which dictate that providers who bill Medicare or Medicaid meet ASHA requirements, including possession of at least a Master’s Degree;
- It sets a legal precedent for further challenges to our licensure in the future;
- It places an undue burden on legislators to determine who should qualify to practice as a speech-language pathologists or audiologist, rather than Board of Registration members who belong to the profession;
- Most importantly, it places consumers at risk. They must rely on the validity of the credentials that are offered to ensure that they are being evaluated and treated by a competent professional who has met all requirements. Being seen by an unlicensed or unqualified professional can lead to lengthier times in treatment, greater financial burden and in some cases, harm or loss of function.
Conclusion
House Bill 2110 unwisely and unnecessarily places consumers at risk, offers an applicant with substandard credentials an opportunity to gain credibility they have not earned, and violates regulations and statutes relating to reimbursement and special education. For these reasons the Massachusetts Speech-Language-Hearing Association urges you to oppose passage of this bill and respectfully requests the Joint Committee on Public Health recommend that it ought not to pass.
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