Urge Congress to Stop Scheduled 10% Cut to Medicare Payment Rates
Please contact your federal legislators this week and urge them to pass a Medicare package that halts a 10% scheduled reduction on January 1, 2008 to the Medicare fee schedule. The reduction will impact all payment rates for all outpatient speech-language pathology and audiology services under the Medicare physician fee schedule. Talking points and draft emails are available at
http://takeaction.asha.org
.
On August 1, 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a broad health care bill that, among other things, would halt the scheduled cuts to the Medicare fee schedule for two years and, instead, provide for a 0.5% positive update in 2008 and another 0.5% increase in 2009. Please urge your legislators to pass provisions like these before the end of the year.
For more information, please contact Elizabeth Mundinger, ASHA’s Director of Federal and Political Advocacy, at
emundinger@asha.org
Who are your Legislative Councilors?
Judith Bernier: Reach her by e-mail at
judithbernierslp@adelphia.net
Diane Roza: Reach her by e-mail at
DRoza110@verizon.net
Ellen O’Neil: Reach her by e-mail at
Ellen_Oneil@meei.harvard.edu
As you may be aware, ASHA is in the process of changing its governance
structure. 2008 marks a transition year for all of the leadership at
ASHA. This year, Massachusetts will have 3 members of Legislative
Council; this will change to 2 in 2009; this is when Legislative
Council will transition into The Speech-Language Pathology Advisory
Council and the Audiology Advisory Council. For further information,
you can contact one of your legislative councilors, or go to the ASHA
website as follows:
www.asha.org/about/leadership-projects/GovFAQs.htm.
|
