ASHA Advocate: May 24, 2024

The House Ways and Means Committee has approved the Preserving Telehealth, Hospital, and Ambulance Access Act (H.R. 8261), which includes a provision providing a two-year extension of Medicare telehealth authority for audiologists and SLPs. ASHA submitted a statement [PDF] supporting various bills, including the Expanded Telehealth Access Act (H.R. 3875/S. 2880), which would add audiologists and SLPs as permanent telehealth providers. Separately, the House Energy and Commerce Committee's subcommittee on Health also forwarded a two-year extension as part of H.R. 7623, the Telehealth Modernization Act, for which ASHA submitted a statement for the record [PDF].

This week, ASHA members Dr. Elizabeth Grillo, CCC-SLP, and Suzanne Younker, CCC-A, were panelists in a congressional briefing and met with representatives to make the case for permanent telehealth authority. Although we don't expect Congress to take final action until December (when current telehealth authority expires), we need you to keep up your excellent advocacy efforts and let your federal representatives know that you should be a permanent Medicare telehealth provider!