July 19, 2010
Health Insurance Coverage of Treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorders
The Autism Insurance Mandate is in place. After many months of advocacy, we are pleased to say that we are at a place that will benefit individuals with autism.
The state of Wisconsin is currently functioning under Emergency Rules as the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) continues to work on finalizing the permanent rule. At this time, OCI recommends that families and providers contact OCI directly with any questions they may have regarding the insurance mandate.
The information on how to file an insurance complaint can be found here: http://oci.wi.gov/com_form.htm. For a printable complaint form, click here.
There is a form that can be sent in online, a form that can be filled out and printed to be sent in, or a mail only form. If there is supporting documentation, please use one of the latter two options.
If you would like to speak directly with the OCI complaint department, the toll free number for those calling from Wisconsin is 1-800-236-8517 or from outside Wisconsin 1-608-266-0103.
For a list of the Provider Relations contacts, please click here.
May 17, 2010
On Tuesday, May 11, Governor Doyle signed into law SB 323 which amends current legislation regarding newborn hearing screening. The changes to the law will help to decrease the number of babies who miss having their hearing screened due to their place of birth outside of the hospital setting. There are also stipulations in the law for the tracking of babies which may help to reduce our loss to follow up statistics in the state which currently are at or above 50 %.
On Thursday, May 13, Governor Doyle signed two more pieces of legislation that relate to communication disorder fields. SB 358 addressed changes to the licensure for audiologists, hearing instrument specialists and speech language pathologists. This law will go into effect January 1st which updates the educational requirements of audiologists to that of a doctoring profession and improves consumer protection guidelines will hold us to the highest standard thus enhancing the quality care we give to our patients. Other aspects to this legislation include eliminating the requirement for calibration records to be filed annually with the Department of Regulation and Licensing, elimination of the Council of Speech Pathology and Audiology and the requirement for hearing aid sales receipts to include the title of the license holder in addition to the current license number.
Following the signage of SB 358, Governor Doyle signed into law SB 389 which creates licensure for sign language interpreters working outside of the educational system. This licensure will help to improve the quality of interpreter skills which will better enhance the communications between deaf individuals and their providers and others. WSHA salutes everyone for all of the hard work that our association has done during this legislative session. In addition to these 3 pieces of legislation, we were also successful earlier in the session to have the hearing aid/cochlear implant law become effective along with the autism insurance law. Without the dedicated work of the individuals professionals within our association some of these issues may not have made it through the legislative process. We also salute the work of our lobbyist for her guidance and perseverance during this session. WSHA is stronger when we work together.
April 30, 2010
Voting for the ASHA Board of Directors and the Advisory Council is now open (or will begin May 3 – May 21st). Go to http://www.asha.org/about/governance/election and cast your vote!!!
March 10, 2010
This week was a busy week for our association on the legislative front. On Wednesday we had 2 bills that we are supporting receive a public hearing in the Senate and one in the Assembly. All 3 bills are now awaiting vote out of committee and/or a floor vote. Now is the time to contact your state legislative leads to ask for their support on these issues. Below are the talking points for all 3 bills. If you do not wish to bombard them on all 3 issues, please know that we have to close out our licensure bill. It has been open too long and is susceptible to other outside groups making amendments to our current statutes. If you do not know who represents you please go to http://www.legis.wisconsin.gov/w3asp/waml/waml.aspx. The legislators are open to all 3 forms of communication: email, phone or mail.
Talking Points
January 19, 2010
CHAPTER 459 UPDATE
Public Hearing for Assembly Bill 553 scheduled!
Assembly Committee on Health and Healthcare Reform
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
417 North (GAR Hall)
State Capitol
WSHA-P NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCES WITH MANDATED COVERAGE FOR AUTISM SERVICES! PLEASE HELP!
Now that insurance coverage is mandated for autism services, WSHA-P wants to know what you have been experiencing with reimbursement and verification processes. Are you billing under the new mandate? Are you being reimbursed? How are insurers verifying you as a qualified provider? We need to know about your personal experiences! Please email your experiences and concerns to WSHA-P Governmental Affairs VP Mary Bahr Schwenke.
Please contact Mary Bahr Schwenke at: vp.government@wisha.org
Background -
Mandated coverage for autism services went into effect several months ago. Under the mandate, autism services provided by SLPs are covered. However, to be considered a qualified therapist, SLPs must show evidence of 1200 hours of training that include all of the following:
1) Seven hundred fifty hours supervised training involving direct 1:1 work with individuals, including pediatric individuals, with autism spectrum disorders using evidence-based, efficacious therapy models.
2) Supervised experience with all of the following:
a. Working with families as the direct speech or occupational therapist and ensuring treatment compliance.
b. Treating individuals with autism spectrum disorders who function at a variety of cognitive levels and exhibit a variety of skill deficits and strengths.
c. Treating individuals with autism spectrum disorders with a variety of behavioral challenges.
d. Treating individuals with autism spectrum disorders who have shown improvement to the average range in language ability and adaptive and social interaction skills.
Autism Frequently Asked Questions
January 13, 2010
At the WSHA-P Annual Membership Meeting, the WSHA-P Executive Board will present to the membership suggested by-laws revisions.
The proposed revised by-laws may be reviewed by clicking here.
November 30, 2009
Do you work with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders?
Do you bill for the speech-language therapy services you deliver?
Are you aware of the new insurance mandate regarding the coverage of services?
Are you aware of the changes in qualification for providing and receiving reimbursed under the new mandate?
If you answered “yes” to any of the questions above, WSHA-P and the speech-language pathology community of the state of Wisconsin needs to hear your voice.
The Office of OCI is holding a public hearing to consider the adoption of the attached proposed rulemaking order affecting section Ins 3.36, Wis. Adm. Code, relating to autism spectrum disorders treatment and affecting small business.
HEARING INFORMATION
Date: December 2, 2009
Time: 2:00 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be reached
Place: OCI, Room 227, 125 South Webster St 2nd Floor, Madison, WI
Please contact Mary Bahr Schwenke , MS., CCC-SLP, WSHA-P VP of Governmental Affairs if you are interested in testifying on behalf of our profession: vp.government@wisha.org.
OCI Public Hearing Notice
Autism Emergency Rule
October 15, 2009
It's not too early to be thinking of colleagues whose work
should be recognized with an award.
The following awards are now open for nominations:
The Honors of the Association recognizes distinguished contributions to the field of communicative disorders and is the highest honor awarded by WSHA-P.
The WSHA-P Salutes Outstanding Service Award is for any individual, WSHA-P member or nonmember, group of individuals or organization that contributes to the field of communicative disorders.
The WSHA-P Lifetime Achievement Award is given to an individual for years of professional service to the field of communication disorders.
The Wisconsin Frank R. Kleffner Lifetime Clinical Career Award is intended for an individual who has made outstanding contributions to clinical science and practice in communication science and disorders over a twenty-year or longer period. The contributions may have been in clinical service, clinical research or any other activity, which has promoted excellence in clinical services.
Click here for additional information and nominations guidelines.
October 15. 2009
Student Weekend 2009. Click here for additional photos.
June 2, 2009
 Hearing Aid Bill Signed Into Law
Wisconsin first in nation to require insurance coverage for cochlear implants
Governor Doyle today signed legislation authored by State Senator Julie
Lassa (D-Stevens Point) and State Representative David Cullen (D-Milwaukee) requiring
insurance companies to provide coverage for hearing aids and cochlear implants for
children. The Wisconsin Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Professional
Association (WSHA-P) applauds Governor Jim Doyle for signing this important piece of
legislation into law and the numerous advocates and parents who have worked tirelessly
on this issue. While a number of states require insurance coverage for hearing aids,
Wisconsin is the first in the nation to require coverage for cochlear implants.
Many children are diagnosed with hearing loss each year, and medical insurance does not
always cover the cost of necessary treatment and services. With families struggling to
pay their daily bills, the additional cost of hearing aids or cochlear implants along with
the resultant therapy makes acquiring appropriate care and treatment difficult for many
families. As a result, treatment is often delayed or nonexistent, typically resulting in
much higher costs for special education services.
The new law will provide relief to many families struggling to balance the costs of
treatment and services associated with their child’s diagnosis of deaf or hearing impaired.
Thank you to all members who took the time to contact their legislators and to testify on behalf of this legislation.
WSHA-P does not want to stop here. We are supporting the national movement for a tax credit for hearing aids. Please contact your federal representatives and urge them to support HR 1646 & S 1019. To date, HR 1646 has 74 cosponsors however its counterpart has none. Since we did so well conquering the state, let's see what we can do as a team at the federal level. Encourage all of your co-workers and patients to communicate the need for this tax credit. It's amazing what heights Grassroots efforts can achieve.
Click here for additional photos.
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