Opportunity to Test New CLTS ForwardHealth Portal for Providers

The claims payer for the Children’s Long-Term Support (CLTS) program will transition from WPS to Gainwell Technologies in May 2025. The Department of Health Services and Gainwell Technologies invites you to test our Submission Sandbox (SETE testing) in the ForwardHealth Portal before the system goes live.

Participating in the Submission Sandbox allows you to test portal functionality before it goes live in May 2025 without disrupting any actual claims.

Portal functionality includes, but is not limited to:

• Direct entry of claims into the portal.
• The ability to copy a claim in paid status to a new claim for editing.
• Creating claims from authorizations.

If you are interested in participating in the Submission Sandbox, email the Gainwell Technologies CLTS Operations Team at cltsoperations@gainwelltechnologies.com by February 7. The Submission Sandbox testing date will be shared as soon as it becomes available.

WSHA remembers longtime member Theodore "Ted" Tweed.  We're grateful for his impact on audiology in Wisconsin. Join us as we reflect on reflect on all that he did to serve our patients, train our students and advocate for our profession.  The obituary is available here.

Congratulations to the 2025 WSHA Award Recipients!

Honors of the Association
Julie Gamradt

WSHA Salutes Outstanding Service
Sue Lethlean
Betty Zientara

ASHA Foundation Clinical Achievement
Courtney Seidel

Rolland J. VanHattum
Lisa Kirby-Mangas

Audiologist of the Year
Maria Hemenway

SLP of the Year
Katie Jacobson

Student Mentor
Kristin Murphey

Student Leadership
Cassidy Laue

Join us at the convention where we'll recognize these individuals for their significant contributions to the profession!

The 2025 WSHA Awards Ceremony will be held on Thursday, February 6 during the Annual Convention at the Ingleside Hotel in Pewaukee, WI. Nominations are needed for all awards! Please consider submitting a nomination (or two!). The nomination process is quick and painless. Visit the WSHA Website (https://www.wisha.org/awards) to review the award description and submit your nomination today! Then make plans to join us for the reception in February. 

It is with great pride and enthusiasm that we announce the recipients of the 2025 WSHA Foundation, Inc. Scholarships.  

We will be awarding $20,000.00 in scholarship awards this year to outstanding graduate students in your programs!  This year we have increased all of the scholarship amounts and received a record number of applications for the WSHA Foundation, Inc. Scholarships!

The scholarships will be presented at the WSHA Convention on February 6^th at the Ingelside Hotel in Pewaukee, WI.  Please attend to support these wonderful recipients!

Here are the talented and gifted future professionals who are make up the 2025 recipients:

Vicki Lord Larson and James R. .Larson Research Grant
Maryann N. Krasko - University of Wisconsin-Madison $3,000.00

Risa Mari Otto Scholarship 
Karen Zielke de Picado - Marquette University $3,000.00
Emily Castillo - Marquette University $3,000.00

Jack Kile Scholarship
Mariana Ibanez-Baldor - University of Wisconsin-Madison $2,000.00

Judith H. and David J. Ward Scholarship
Kyra Saylor -  University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire $2,000.00

Heart of Healthcare Scholarship
Morgan Lutgen - University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point $2,500.00

Friends of WSHA Scholarship
Meghan Borowski  - University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire $2,500.00

Nancy McKinley Scholarship
Cassidy Laue - University of Wisconsin-Whitewater $2,000.00

Please consider donating to the WSHA Foundation, Inc. 

Recently members of WSHA’s Medicaid Committee met with representatives of the Department of Health Services (DHS). Purpose of the meeting was to follow up on issues presented in February addressing barriers encountered by providers when seeking services for Medicaid members through the prior authorization (PA)/adjudication process. Positive changes obtained from providers were shared:

• number of questions on returned PAs has decreased

• requests for submission of ABA plans of care have decreased

• approvals for members with complex diagnoses over the age of 6 have been noted

Providers have observed a new pattern utilized by reviewers. Approval messages include a list of items to be addressed should a subsequent PA be submitted. Reportedly, this has been helpful and has resulted in approval of subsequent PAs. Providers also reported “cut and paste” questions and requirement to provide language-age equivalents for members with complex habilitation/rehabilitation needs continue to appear on returned PAs.

DHS presented recent data on the adjudication of durable medical equipment, i.e. speech generating devices (SGD). 305 SGDs (98% of submissions) were approved from September 2023 through February 2024. The most common reasons cited for returns on these PAs were:

• missing manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) for requested accessories

• missing documentation, e.g. PA forms, prescriptions, face-to-face requirements, clerical errors

• request for IEP

• face-to-face and prescription requirements were not met

• functional use of SGD across settings was missing

Members pointed out SLPs provide recommendations for SGDs and accessories, but the vendor frequently fails to provide pricing information. Following collaboration with school-based SLPs it is difficult to obtain IEPs. DHS suggested providers go back to vendors, CESAs, special education directors, Children’s Long-Term Support Council to address these issues.

WSHA’s Medicaid Committee is seeking information from providers on their experience with the PA process. Please submit questions or concerns pertinent to the issues described above and to report other barriers accessing/providing speech/language services for Wisconsin’s Medical Assistance members. WSHA@badgerbay.co (not .com)

Congratulations to Dawn Merth-Johnson, WSHA Past President and longtime volunteer, on receiving the ASHA 2024 Dorothy Dreyer Award for Volunteerism.   

The Dorothy Dreyer Award for Volunteerism may be given annually to one individual who has made significant and outstanding volunteer contributions to ASHA and serves as a model of volunteerism to others. Individuals may be nominated for exceptional contributions that have had subsequent impact on the professions, ASHA members, and clients. These contributions may have occurred over a defined period of time or over a period of many years and may include service on various ASHA committees, boards, councils, Board of Directors, and/or the ASHFoundation.

WSHA is also proud of Dr. John Heilmann, Dr. Thomas Sather, Dr. Audra Sterling who received ASHA Fellowship.

Fellowship is one of the highest honors the Association bestows. To be awarded Fellow, the nominee must have made outstanding contributions to the discipline of communication sciences and disorders.

Dearest Colleagues, 

As I begin my term as President of WSHA, I want to thank our outgoing President, Jen Eggert for her tireless work on behalf of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists over the past two years. We appreciate all your work to support students and professionals. 

I am excited to continue with all the great work, advocating on behalf of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists throughout the state. We have wonderful educational and advocacy plans for the upcoming year, which I am looking forward to being involved in.  Most of all, I am thankful for the trust you all have put in me to support students and professionals throughout the state.  

The future of the professions is bright! 

Sincerely, 

Cindy Lund

Pictured here are Jennifer Eggert and Cindy Lund

As my term as President of WSHA comes to a close, I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to each of you.  It has been inspiring to witness the collective effort and enthusiasm of our community of students and professionals.  I am deeply grateful for the trust you placed in me and for the opportunity to work alongside such passionate individuals.  I look forward to supporting and celebrating the association's future successes.

With sincere appreciation,

Jen Eggert

Florence (Flo) Filley passed away on May 7, 2024 at the age of 95. Florence impacted many lives in Wisconsin through her work as a clinical instructor in the area of fluency disorders at UW-Madison and through her private practice. She was the recipient of a number of awards and accolades during her career including the WSHA Lifetime Achievement Award. Florence co-authored a text book on treating children’s speech fluency with her colleague Lois Nelson and presented at a number of WSHA conventions on the topic of fluency.  The obituary is available here Wisconsin State Journal.