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ASHA Awards Grant for MSHA's Advocacy Program |
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Written by MSHA Office
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Tuesday, 05 May 2009 00:00 |
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The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has awarded the Maryland Speech-Language-Hearing Association (MSHA) a $4,000 grant funded under ASHA’s Strategic Pathway to Excellence program. MSHA submitted a proposal for funding entitled “MSHA's Network of SLP Providers Advocating for Improved Health Insurance Reimbursement” and is proud to have received funding for its proposal. The Association was one of only five states to receive grant funding this year.
MSHA intends to apply funding toward measures to affect the issue of reduced health insurance reimbursement for private speech-pathology services. As a result of its 2008 survey, MSHA determined that speech pathologists in private practice and other agencies that provide these services are experiencing decreased caseloads because patients have to pay private rates versus accessing insurance benefits. MSHA proposes to organize an SLP Network of agenices and practitioners to help formulate a plan of action to deal with this growing concern and ensure that families can receive the care that they need.
The MSHA Network will help organize and encourage communication among providers and consumers of speech-language pathology services in Maryland so that strategies can be developed to help practitioners and clients decrease the challenges presented by private insurance plans.
Practitioners across Maryland are encouraged to help make a difference by joining MSHA's Network of Advocacy. All interested private practitioners and representatives of healthcare agencies that provide speech-language pathology services are encouraged to contact Marie Noplock (410-515-4900 or
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) or Kim Bell, MSHA President (410-239-7770) or to
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. A survey will be distributed and a general meeting will be scheduled in early Fall.
This initiative is another step that the MSHA Board has taken to increase its goals of Advocacy, as outlined in the recently revised Strategic Plan.
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