During the COVID pandemic in 2020, Congress authorized many health care providers to provide services via telehealth. This authorization included Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) and many of my patients now routinely access their care using a HIPAA secure telehealth platform. When my private practice office was flooded during two back to back hurricanes in 2024, the office was closed, and my practice made a full shift to Telehealth, with a few occasional face:face home visits.
The advantage to patients has been access to the same quality of service they received in an office location, but without the need to access transportation and with reduced caregiver burden. It has allowed patients who live in other areas of Florida and states where I hold a license to access care.
Research and evidence demonstrates the efficacy and quality of telehealth services provided by audiologists and SLPs and shows comparable outcomes when compared to in-person services
Medicare coverage for audiology and speech-language pathology services delivered via telehealth needs to remain protected.
On December 21, Congress passed, and the President signed, a law that provides a short-term extension of authority for audiologists and SLPs to bill telehealth services under Medicare Part B through March 31, 2025. Without further congressional action by the end of March, Medicare beneficiaries will no longer be covered for audiology and SLP telehealth services. It’s critical that Congress act to ensure patients maintain access to the same level of telehealth services they have had since 2020.
If you are an individual who has received speech-language therapy via telehealth, you appreciate the value, and it’s critical that you add your voice to mine, and ask elected officials ask you to support an extension of telehealth authority to ensure audiologists and that speech-language pathologists remain Medicare telehealth providers beyond the current statutory expiration date of March 31, 2025.
To locate the contact email for your local Florida representative to Congress, please follow this link and enter your address. https://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/Find
Copy and paste the following brief message: I or (family member, spouse, parent,etc.) have had the opportunity receive speech therapy treatment using a tehealth platform. This access has afforded me independent access to my much needed care. Telehealth has reduce costs and time associated with transportation to and from a facility and reduced caregiver burden. I urge you to ensure audiologists and SLPs can continue providing critical services to meet the needs of Medicare beneficiaries by supporting a legislative extension of telehealth authority before March 31, 2025.
My Mission: To enlist individuals in their treatment, and help them express their personality & spirit through voice. To educate and empower. Mary Spremulli, MA, CCC-SLP Certified End of Life Specialist Training (CEOLS) * FiTOUR® Group Exercise Instructor
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