AMERICAN SPEECH-LANGUAGE-HEARING ASSOCIATION

Issues related to health care workforce shortages Issues related to funding for the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act (Public Law 117-241) Stop CMV Act (H.R. 5435/S. 2842) Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act (H.R. 3277/S. 1677) Various issues related to implementation of the ACA, including Essential Health Benefits and marketplace plans Various issues related to non-discrimination legislation and regulation Issues related to coverage of gender-affirming care/gender-affirming voice therapy Issues related to health information technology, including interoperability Issues related to use of AI in health care Issues related to funding in Fiscal Year 2026 for programs administered by the Department of Health and Human Services and National Institutes of Health Issues related to reform/restructuring of the National Institutes of Health H.R. 2332/S. 1101, States Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment Act Issues related to coverage of and support for individuals who stutter through federal health programs Issues related to consolidation in the health care industry. Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (H.R. 2531/S. 1232) Allys Act (H.R. 4606/S. 3400) Healthcare is Human Act (H.R. 7884) Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027 (H.R. 9260)

Issues related to Tricare, including provider enrollment and payment, and related provisions in H.R. 8800, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027.

Issues related to the tax-exempt status of non-profit organizations, including the Safeguarding Charity Act (H.R. 2896/S. 1428).

Various issues related to elimination of the Department of Education and the Presidential Executive Order titled Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities, including IDEA, federal protections, and workforce issues. Various issues related to administrative burden on school-based providers Various issues related to the Higher Education Act, specifically related to student loans, loan forgiveness, and accreditation Issues related to funding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), including the IDEA Full Funding Act (H.R. 2598/S. 1277) Issues related to IDEA statute and regulations Issues related to school-based Medicaid services Various issues related to shortages of specialized instructional support personnel Issues related to funding in Fiscal Year 2026 for programs administered by the Department of Education Issues related to higher education and college affordability, including student loans Issues related to pediatric audiology workforce shortages, including recognition of pediatric audiology under federal pediatric specialty loan repayment programs H.R. 2332/S. 1101, States Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment Act H.R. 1151/S. 756, the Freedom To Invest in Tomorrow's Workforce Act H.R.1968 - Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 Strengthening Efforts for Relief and Vital Incentives for Community Service and Engagement (SERVICE) Act (H.R. 2829) H.R. 6574, the Loan Equity for Advanced Professionals Act H.R. 6677/S. 4039, the Professional Degree Access Restoration Act H.R. 6718, to amend the definition of professional degree in the Higher Education Act of 1965. H.R. 6739, to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand the definition of professional degree. H.R. 6862, the Protecting Health Care Workforce Pipelines Act H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026

Issues related to prior authorization requirements in Medicare, including H.R. 3514/S. 1816, the Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act of 2025 Issues related to Medicare coverage of audiology services and the Medicare Audiology Access Improvement Act (H.R. 2757/S. 1996) Issues related to the provision of audiology and speech-language pathology services through telepractice, including H.R. 1614, legislation to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand practitioners eligible to furnish telehealth services under the Medicare program, H.R. 5801, H.R. 6296, the Advancing Access to Telehealth Act, the Telehealth Modernization Act (H.R. 5081/S. 2709), and S. 3834, the Expanded Telehealth Access Act. Issues related to Medicare Part B reimbursement of audiology and speech-language pathology services, including H.R. 8163, the Provider Reimbursement Stability Act of 2026 Issues related to the Multiple Procedure Payment Reduction, including the Removing Excessive Cuts to Outpatient and Vital Essential Rehabilitation (RECOVER) Act (H.R. 8386) H.R. 6160, Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act H.R. 7520, the Efficiency Adjustment Delay Act Prompt and Fair Pay Act (H.R. 4559) Medicare Patient Choice Act (H.R. 4204) Stopping Fraudulent Payments Act (H.R. 8464) Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act (H.R. 4849/S. 2556) Various issues related to CMS Actions surrounding: Audits of medical records and claims for Part A and B services Procedure code development and valuation of audiology and speech-language pathology services Quality reporting under MIPS Implementation of the IMPACT Act Medicare physician fee schedule Prospective payments systems, including home health and skilled nursing facility policy and payment issues Accountable Care Organizations Federally-facilitated marketplace Medicare Advantage Various issues related to interoperable health information, including the post-acute care interoperability project (PACIO) Medicare telehealth coverage under Part A and B Provision and payment for Part A therapy Various issues related to implementation of ACA Issues related to Medicare beneficiaries accessing services provided by audiologists without a physician order Issues related to qualified Medicare providers Issues related to fraud, waste, and abuse Issues related to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) actions related to value-based care Issues related to proposals to block grant or institute work requirements and/or per capita caps in the Medicaid program.