It’s Time to SPEAK: Part 3 - How to Write a CMS Comment That Matters

What happened when the SPEAK Project went to Washington, DC, to fight for sustainable Medicare reimbursement for speech-language pathologists?In this episode of Fix SLP, Jeanette Benigas, PhD/SLP, and Emily Watkins, MCD/SLP, share what they can about their meetings with congressional healthcare staff and senior CMS officials as the January 1, 2027, replacement of CPT 92507 approaches.They discuss the proposed Medicare payment reductions, the national economic analysis involving nearly 1.3 million reimbursed SLP service events, and why independent data has become central to their advocacy. They also explain the role of K&L Gates, why some congressional strategy must remain confidential, and what happened in Washington that left them cautiously optimistic.Most importantly, Jeanette and Emily explain what SLPs should, and should not, be doing during this critical phase of advocacy.The fight isn't over. The strategy is in the next phase, and your involvement still matters.Learn more, submit patient and family stories, or support the effort at https://speakproject.net.Get caught up wherever you stream podcasts!#110: CPT 92507 Is Being Deleted? What Every SLP Must Know About the New Speech Therapy Codes#111: CPT 92507 Q&A for SLPs: Your Questions Answered#113: CPT 92507 Option B: This Is Our Week to Advocate#115: CMS's NEW Pediatric G Code Explained: What Every SLP Needs to Know#116: What the New Speech Therapy Codes Mean for Adult SLPs#117: The End of CPT 92507: Is Your SLP Documentation Ready?#118: It’s Time to SPEAK: Part 1 - Building the Data to Fight for SLP Reimbursement#119: It’s Time to SPEAK Part 2 - Mobilizing Families for SLP Advocacy#120: It’s Time to SPEAK: Part 3 - How to Write a CMS Comment That MattersKey takeawaysJeanette Benigas and Emily Watkins, co-founders of the SPEAK Project, explain what happened on their trip to Washington, D.C., to push back on proposed Medicare values for the codes replacing CPT 92507. It is for SLPs, practice owners and donors who want to know what the data, the lobbying firm and the CMS meeting were for, and why some details are still private.Emily explains that 92507 is being replaced by a family of 10 new treatment codes beginning January 1, 2027. The fight is not over whether the codes exist but over how Medicare values and pays for them.The hosts used an average cut of 22% in their meetings. Jeanette notes that the cuts across the 10 codes range from about 13% to 34%, so 22% is a general benchmark, not a flat cut.The SPEAK Project's independent analysis included 138 outpatient organizations in 49 states and 1,290,897 paid 92507 service events from 2025. The hosts say they were blinded to who submitted and what each practice reported.The study found a weighted average cost of $81.86 per 92507 event against a national average payment of $76.15, which the hosts describe as a loss of about $5 per event before any cut. About three quarters of cost is labor.The SPEAK Project retained the law and lobbying firm K&L Gates. The hosts say the firm asked them not to name the offices they meet with, and its quarterly lobbying reports will stand in for posted invoices.Jeanette and Emily met with healthcare technical staff on Capitol Hill and with senior CMS staff in Baltimore during the rulemaking period. They handed over printed copies of the white paper and left "cautiously optimistic."For now, the hosts ask SLPs to stop contacting Congress and CMS on their own. The two things they still want are beneficiary letters through the SPEAK Project portal and donations.In this episode00:32 – Why the SPEAK Project has been quiet about details04:59 – CPT 92507, the 10 new codes and the average 22% cut12:47 – Why the project needed data and how it was collected21:32 – Cost per service event versus what Medicare pays25:27 – What the lobbying firm does and why meetings stay private52:09 – The CMS meeting during the rulemaking period59:31 – Why SLPs should pause outreach and what still helps1:12:20 – The bigger lesson: SLPs have power when they have evidence🚧 Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.🚧 Become a sustaining partner to support our work.🚧 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.🚧 Find all our information at fixslp.com, and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.🚧 Email us at [email protected].🚧 Leave a message on our Minivan Meltdown line! ★ Support this podcast ★

The data is collected. Now it’s time to make sure CMS hears from SLPs.In Part 3 of It’s Time to SPEAK, Jeanette Benigas, PhD/SLP, and Emily Watkins, MCD/SLP, walk through the new SPEAK Project CMS Comment Builder and explain exactly what clinicians and practice owners should tell CMS about reimbursement, workload, patient access, and the real-world consequences of the proposed 2027 Medicare payment changes.If you submitted economic data to the SPEAK Project, wait until September 10 to build your comment so you can incorporate the aggregated findings. Everyone else can start now.And don’t wait until the last minute.Visit SPEAKProject.net to build your CMS comment, mobilize the Friends of SLPs in your life, and help fund the legal and lobbying team that will carry this work forward.Learn more and support the project at SPEAKPROJECT.NET.Get caught up wherever you stream podcasts!#110: CPT 92507 Is Being Deleted? What Every SLP Must Know About the New Speech Therapy Codes#111: CPT 92507 Q&A for SLPs: Your Questions Answered#113: CPT 92507 Option B: This Is Our Week to Advocate#115: CMS's NEW Pediatric G Code Explained: What Every SLP Needs to Know#116: What the New Speech Therapy Codes Mean for Adult SLPs#117: The End of CPT 92507: Is Your SLP Documentation Ready?#118: It’s Time to SPEAK: Part 1 - Building the Data to Fight for SLP Reimbursement#119: It’s Time to SPEAK Part 2 - Mobilizing Families for SLP AdvocacyKey takeawaysJeanette Benigas and Emily Watkins of Pediatric Therapy Partners explain how SLPs, practice owners, and supporters can submit useful comments to CMS on the proposed speech therapy rates through the SPEAK Project. The episode is for any SLP or SLPA, in any setting, and for the families and friends who want to help.Jeanette says the advice they got from Washington, D.C. firms was that data matters more than comment volume. One firm told them 200,000 comments without data would not move CMS.Owners who submitted cost data to the SPEAK Project should wait for aggregated results from the CPA firm on September 10, then compare their own numbers to the national findings in their comment.SLPs and owners who did not submit data should comment now using the comment builder on the SPEAK Project website, under the SLPs and SLPAs tab. Jeanette says templates and fill-in-the-blank letters are not appropriate, and every letter must be unique.Emily explains that the builder turns short, even fragmented, answers into an individualized letter emailed back for editing. It covers work outside the session, reimbursement, the pediatric G code, downstream effects, and what you want CMS to do.Emily advises making comments personal and concrete, with real places and patient numbers. Each letter should keep the last line stating support for the data Fix SLP is submitting.The comment period ends September 14. After an earlier AMA comment window closed early, Jeanette urges everyone to submit before going to bed on September 13.Friends of SLPs, such as patients, parents, and neighbors, can use a separate link to create a letter to officials on Capitol Hill. Jeanette says the plan is to keep it open through September 30, pending lobbyist advice.In this episode00:31 – The SPEAK Project and fundraising for data, lawyers, and lobbyists01:51 – Friends of SLPs letters to Capitol Hill06:01 – Meet Emily Watkins06:25 – Why data drives the CMS comments10:49 – A walkthrough of the CMS comment builder16:43 – Why you should not wait until the last day18:01 – Sharing the form and the Friends of SLPs deadline✨ Grateful to Chomper Champs for bringing so much positivity and fun to the pediatric SLP space. Follow the link to order the 🦺 Fix SLP Construction Accessory Kit 🧰, or bundle and save. Fix SLP receives 20% of every purchase, so it’s a win for everyone! ✨🚧 Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.🚧 Become a sustaining partner to support our work.🚧 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.🚧 Find all our information at fixslp.com, and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.🚧 Email us at [email protected].🚧 Leave a message on our Minivan Meltdown line! ★ Support this podcast ★

SLP advocacy can't stop with data. If Medicare reimbursement fails to cover the cost of providing speech-language pathology services, patients and families ultimately feel the impact through longer waitlists, fewer providers, reduced insurance access, and practice closures.In Part 2 of our SPEAK Project series, Jeanette Benigas, PhD/SLP, talks with pediatric occupational therapist and private practice owner Pam Marshall about mobilizing patients and families as part of a larger SLP reimbursement advocacy strategy.After Kentucky therapy providers faced Medicaid reimbursement cuts, Pam helped create a system that made it easy for families to share their individual stories with lawmakers. Her practice generated more than 420 letters in roughly two weeks.Jeanette and Pam discuss how SLPs and practice owners can turn patient experiences into meaningful advocacy, why individual stories matter to policymakers, how practices can make participation easier for families, and why protecting access to speech therapy will require more than SLPs advocating for themselves.The economic data is only one piece of the SPEAK Project. Now we need data, dollars, connections, and people willing to SPEAK.SLP advocacy can't stop with data. If Medicare reimbursement fails to cover the cost of providing speech-language pathology services, patients and families ultimately feel the impact through longer waitlists, fewer providers, reduced insurance access, and practice closures.In Part 2 of our SPEAK Project series, Jeanette Benigas, PhD/SLP, talks with pediatric occupational therapist and private practice owner Pam Marshall about mobilizing patients and families as part of a larger SLP reimbursement advocacy strategy.After Kentucky therapy providers faced Medicaid reimbursement cuts, Pam helped create a system that made it easy for families to share their individual stories with lawmakers. Her practice generated more than 420 letters in roughly two weeks.Jeanette and Pam discuss how SLPs and practice owners can turn patient experiences into meaningful advocacy, why individual stories matter to policymakers, how practices can make participation easier for families, and why protecting access to speech therapy will require more than SLPs advocating for themselves.The economic data is only one piece of the SPEAK Project. Now we need data, dollars, connections, and people willing to SPEAK.Learn more, contribute data, and support the project at SPEAKPROJECT.NET.Get caught up, wherever you stream podcasts!#110: CPT 92507 Is Being Deleted? What Every SLP Must Know About the New Speech Therapy Codes#111: CPT 92507 Q&A for SLPs: Your Questions Answered#113: CPT 92507 Option B: This Is Our Week to Advocate#115: CMS's NEW Pediatric G Code Explained: What Every SLP Needs to Know#116: What the New Speech Therapy Codes Mean for Adult SLPs#117: The End of CPT 92507: Is Your SLP Documentation Ready?#118: It’s Time to SPEAK: Part 1 - Building the Data to Fight for SLP Reimbursement✨ Grateful to Chomper Champs for bringing so much positivity and fun to the pediatric SLP space. Follow the link to order the 🦺 Fix SLP Construction Accessory Kit 🧰, or bundle and save. Fix SLP receives 20% of every purchase, so it’s a win for everyone! ✨🚧 Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.🚧 Become a sustaining partner to support our work.🚧 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.🚧 Find all our information at fixslp.com, and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.🚧 Email us at [email protected].🚧 Leave a message on our Minivan Meltdown line! ★ Support this podcast ★

SLPs have been screaming for a long time that reimbursement is too low, costs are rising, and access to speech-language pathology services is being threatened. But can we prove it with national data?In this episode, Jeanette Benigas, PhD/SLP, introduces The Speech Pathology Education, Advocacy and Knowledge (SPEAK) Project and its first major initiative: building a national economic dataset that shows what it actually costs to provide SLP services and turn those numbers into credible national evidence we can use to advocate directly with CMS during the current public comment period.Jeanette is joined by private practice owner Holly Ellis, MS/SLP, and CPA Cody Underwood to discuss how North Carolina built its own cost analysis, why independent financial analysis matters, and what the national SPEAK Project will measure, including CPT 92507, dysphagia and cognitive services, treatment time, payer mix, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, workforce pressures, waitlists, and access to care.The immediate goal: collect high-quality data from all 50 states (+ DC) and turn that evidence into meaningful advocacy.Give data. Give dollars. Or do both.Everything starts at speakproject.net.Get caught up, wherever you stream podcasts!#110: CPT 92507 Is Being Deleted? What Every SLP Must Know About the New Speech Therapy Codes#111: CPT 92507 Q&A for SLPs: Your Questions Answered#113: CPT 92507 Option B: This Is Our Week to Advocate#115: CMS's NEW Pediatric G Code Explained: What Every SLP Needs to Know#116: What the New Speech Therapy Codes Mean for Adult SLPs#117: The End of CPT 92507: Is Your SLP Documentation Ready?Key takeawaysJeanette Benigas launches the SPEAK Project (Speech Pathology Education Advocacy and Knowledge Project), a national effort to collect what it actually costs to provide SLP services. Holly Ellis shares how North Carolina built a similar cost data project, and CPA Cody Underwood explains how practice data will be kept confidential. It is for practice owners who can share financial data and anyone who can donate.Jeanette says stories and surveys about feeling underpaid are not enough. When CMS or another payer asks what services cost, SLPs need national evidence, and the SPEAK Project's first job is to build it.Holly explains that North Carolina private practice owners, working with their state association, collected cost data from about 40 to 43 pediatric practices. Their findings have not been released publicly.Cody says completed surveys go only to him and his firm. Each gets a random survey ID, and Fix SLP and the SPEAK Project see only aggregated results with no identifying information.The national survey is for people who know a practice's full financials: pediatric private practices and adult Medicare Part B providers. Jeanette also welcomes skilled nursing Part B numbers and pediatric Medicare billers.The goal is 200 high-quality responses with at least one from every state. North Carolina practices are asked to respond again because the national survey adds questions.Beyond 92507, the survey asks about the dysphagia code, cognitive treatment, payer mix, treatment time, waitlists and staff turnover. Cody explains that modeling treatment times shows how the move to timed codes could change daily revenue.Jeanette signed a $50,000 engagement letter for the data work and expects legal and advocacy work to need another $100,000 or more. Donations and data submissions go through the SPEAK Project website.In this episode00:49 – Why SLPs need evidence, not just stories02:41 – Introducing the SPEAK Project and its funding needs05:55 – Holly Ellis on how North Carolina built its cost data24:02 – Cody Underwood on confidentiality and independent analysis38:24 – Who should fill out the national survey42:53 – What the survey covers beyond 9250748:13 – The goal of 200 responses from every state59:35 – How to donate, submit data and spread the word✨ Grateful to Chomper Champs for bringing so much positivity and fun to the pediatric SLP space. Follow the link to order the 🦺 Fix SLP Construction Accessory Kit 🧰, or bundle and save. Fix SLP receives 20% of every purchase, so it’s a win for everyone! ✨🚧 Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.🚧 Become a sustaining partner to support our work.🚧 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.🚧 Find all our information at fixslp.com, and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.🚧 Email us at [email protected].🚧 Leave a message on our Minivan Meltdown line! ★ Support this podcast ★

92507 is changing, and SLP documentation will have to change with it.In this episode, Jeanette Benigas, PhD/SLP, is joined by adult and pediatric private practice owners Katie Brown, MA/SLP, and Emily Watkins, MCD/SLP, to talk about what the new code set could mean for documentation, billing, compliance, and audit risk across pediatric and adult settings.Katie and Emily share firsthand experiences with Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial insurance audits, including what payers requested, what triggered the audits, and why documentation supporting medical necessity and skilled intervention matters. They also deliberate one of the biggest shifts ahead: moving from a catch-all code to multiple service-specific codes means SLPs will need to clearly support what they treated, why it required skilled intervention, and the time spent providing that treatment.The takeaway: do what you bill, bill what you do, and document what you do.Whether you’re a clinician, manager, or private practice owner, now is the time to understand the changes and prepare... before January.Resources Mentioned👀 Check out Katie's SLPs Blueprint to Medicare Success and get $100 off with the code FixSLP🎧 Previous episode with Emily Watkins: CMS's NEW Pediatric G Code Explained: What Every SLP Needs to Know🎧 Previous episode with Katie Brown: What the New Speech Therapy Codes Mean for Adult SLPs🎧 Previous episode with Katie Brown: Telehealth Coverage Expired: SLP Rules for Medicare Claims🎧 Previous episode with Katie Brown: Telehealth Under Threat: Protecting Access for Adults and Families▶️ Watch the Fixing the Coding Chaos series, or this episode on YouTube✨ Grateful to Chomper Champs for bringing so much positivity and fun to the pediatric SLP space. Follow the link to order the 🦺 Fix SLP Construction Accessory Kit 🧰, or bundle and save. Fix SLP receives 20% of every purchase, so it’s a win for everyone! ✨🚧 Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.🚧 Become a sustaining partner to support our work.🚧 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.🚧 Find all our information at fixslp.com, and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.🚧 Email us at [email protected].🚧 Leave a message on our Minivan Meltdown line! ★ Support this podcast ★

The new Medicare speech therapy CPT codes are coming, and adult SLPs need to prepare.In this episode, Jeanette Benigas, PhD/SLP, is joined by Katie Brown, SLP of Neuro Speech Solutions (@neurospeechsolutions), to discuss how the new code family replacing 92507 could impact adult speech-language pathology across Medicare Part B, skilled nursing, outpatient, home health, hospital outpatient, and private practice.They discuss how the new codes may affect reimbursement, scheduling, productivity, documentation, cognition treatment, Medicare Advantage, commercial insurance, and ethical billing. They also explore why accurate utilization data will be critical to future advocacy for higher reimbursement rates.Whether you own a private practice, work in a SNF, outpatient clinic, hospital, or even pediatrics, this conversation will help you understand what's changing, what questions remain unanswered, and how to start preparing now.Key takeawaysJeanette Benigas and private practice owner Katie Brown of Neuro Speech Solutions walk through what the replacement of CPT 92507 means for adult and medical SLPs. The episode is for SLPs in outpatient, private practice, and skilled nursing who bill Medicare Part B, and for anyone who assumes the change will not reach their setting.Jeanette explains that 92507 is being replaced on January 1 by five 30-minute base codes, each paired with its own add-on code. You cannot mix families, such as a voice base code with a language add-on.Under the 50% plus one rule, a base code needs at least 16 minutes, and the add-on can only be billed after the full 30-minute base. Katie notes that late arrivals in her 40-minute sessions quickly rule out add-on codes.Jeanette explains the Multiple Procedure Payment Reduction (MPPR): Medicare pays 100% for the highest-valued procedure and cuts the practice expense of later ones by up to 50% on the same day. Katie says the add-on codes are not subject to MPPR.Katie says about half of the commercial payers in her contracts also apply MPPR, and she worries insurers will use the new codes to lower rates and delay payments. She advises SLPs to ask each payer directly.Jeanette predicts SNF employers will offset losses through higher productivity, longer sessions, or cuts to benefits. She urges SLPs to stay on the clock and keep daily records of their work.Both hosts warn about pressure to upcode, such as billing voice when the session was really speech production. Jeanette argues honest billing over the next few years creates the utilization data needed to argue for better rates.Katie and Jeanette are concerned that standalone language and cognitive treatment are poorly reimbursed. Katie says most of her commercial payers do not reimburse SLPs for cognitive codes 97129 and 97130.In this episode00:45 – Introducing Katie Brown and why the code change reaches every setting06:28 – The new code set and Fix SLP's plan for the CMS comment period15:31 – Base codes, add-on codes, and the 50% plus one rule20:18 – How MPPR reduces payment for multiple codes23:46 – What employers may do to make up losses30:09 – NCCI edits, EMRs, and changing how SLPs document46:13 – Mixed payers, insurance rates, and payment delays55:59 – Upcoding pressure, cognition codes, and why honest data mattersTopics include:• The new adult SLP CPT codes• Replacing 92507• Medicare Part B billing• Cognition reimbursement• Documentation changes• Productivity concerns• Private practice and SNF implications• Ethical billing and future advocacyResources Mentioned👀 Check out Katie's SLPs Blueprint to Medicare Success and get $100 off with the code FixSLP🎧 Previous episode: CMS's NEW Pediatric G Code Explained: What Every SLP Needs to Know🎧 Previous episode: New York Early Intervention in Crisis🎧 Previous episode with Katie Brown: Telehealth Coverage Expired: SLP Rules for Medicare Claims🎧 Previous episode with Katie Brown: Telehealth Under Threat: Protecting Access for Adults and Families▶️ Watch the Fixing the Coding Chaos series, or this episode on YouTube✨ Grateful to Chomper Champs for bringing so much positivity and fun to the pediatric SLP space. Follow the link to order the 🦺 Fix SLP Construction Accessory Kit 🧰, or bundle and save. Fix SLP receives 20% of every purchase, so it’s a win for everyone! ✨🚧 Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.🚧 Become a sustaining partner to support our work.🚧 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.🚧 Find all our information at fixslp.com, and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.🚧 Email us at [email protected].🚧 Leave a message on our Minivan Meltdown line! ★ Support this podcast ★

CMS surprised speech-language pathologists with a proposed pediatric G code, creating new questions about reimbursement, billing, and the future of pediatric speech therapy.In this episode, Jeanette Benigas, PhD/SLP, is joined by billing expert Rick Gawenda and pediatric private practice owner Emily Watkins, MCD/SLP, to break down what the proposed G code actually means, who it applies to, and why it matters far beyond Medicare.Topics include:• Who the proposed pediatric G code applies to• Why commercial insurance and Medicaid may choose different billing paths• Timed CPT codes vs. the proposed G code• How reimbursement could change for pediatric practices• Operational challenges for clinics and business owners• Why giving payers multiple billing options may create inconsistencies• The risks surrounding untimed codes and future payer audits• Why understanding RVUs and practice expense matters• What clinicians and practice owners should consider before submitting comments to CMSWhether you're an employee, private practice owner, school-based SLP, or administrator, these proposed coding changes have the potential to affect your reimbursement, documentation, scheduling, and future practice.This episode is designed to help you understand the proposal, not tell you what position to take, so you can make informed decisions on how to comment before the CMS comment period closes.Key takeawaysJeanette Benigas talks with physical therapist and billing consultant Rick Gawenda and pediatric practice owner Emily Watkins about the new pediatric G code (GSLPP) in CMS's proposed rule. They cover who it applies to, how it is valued against the 10 new timed codes and what it could mean for scheduling, audits and budgets. It is for pediatric practice owners, billers and SLPs whose pay depends on these decisions.Rick explains that GSLPP is a proposed HCPCS code for treatment of speech, language, voice, communication and auditory processing for patients up to age 21. It went through Medicare rulemaking, not the AMA and RUC process.If finalized for January 1, 2027, the G code is mandatory only for Medicare. Rick says state Medicaid programs and commercial payers can choose to adopt it or use the 10 new codes instead.Comments on the proposed rule were open until September 14 at 5:00 PM Eastern. Rick expected the final rule around the end of October or the first week of November 2026.Rick explains that the G code's proposed value is lower than 92507's, mainly because of a smaller practice expense, and that it is paid as an untimed code.Rick says the G code may suit practices that treat for 20 to 30 minutes, while practices that treat about 40 minutes may do better with a 30-minute base code plus the 15-minute add-on.Jeanette corrects her earlier video: the G code does not require 60 minutes. Rick notes it is untimed but valued on 60 minutes, so audits could lead payers to cut values or bundle codes, as Emily saw in Louisiana.Emily warns that if payers pick different code sets, practices will need payer-specific EMR setup and scheduling. Jeanette's advice at the time was to wait for more information before deciding which option is better.In this episode01:00 – Meet Rick Gawenda and Emily Watkins05:00 – Correcting the 60-minute claim and who the G code applies to08:00 – Comment deadline, final rule timing and which payers must use it10:00 – How the G code is valued compared with 92507 and the new codes16:00 – Emily on choosing the option that hurts your practice least24:00 – Billing and scheduling problems if payers choose different codes31:00 – Untimed codes, audits and bundling risk43:00 – Whether comments can raise values, and ASHA's response✨ Grateful to Chomper Champs for bringing so much positivity and fun to the pediatric SLP space. Follow the link to order the 🦺 Fix SLP Construction Accessory Kit 🧰, or bundle and save. Fix SLP receives 20% of every purchase, so it’s a win for everyone! ✨🚧 Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.🚧 Become a sustaining partner to support our work.🚧 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.🚧 Find all our information at fixslp.com, and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.🚧 Email us at [email protected].🚧 Leave a message on our Minivan Meltdown line! ★ Support this podcast ★

ASHA launched a new consumer-facing website, and SLPs immediately started digging. In this episode, Jeanette Benigas, PhD/SLP, and Stephanie Feero, MS/SLP, unpack the newly rebranded Communication Health Support Association (CHSA), its connection to ASHA, and the financial and organizational questions surrounding the rollout.The conversation explores CHSA’s 70-year history, ASHA's evolving mission statements and strategic objectives, tax filings, membership positioning, ProFind listings, and the ongoing debate surrounding the CCC. Jeanette and Stephanie also examine public IRS Form 990 data, nonprofit structures, affiliate language, and the broader implications for clinicians and the future of the profession.This episode discusses publicly available documents, organizational timelines, and the growing questions many SLPs are now asking after discovering a consumer-facing association that has existed for decades with little public awareness, all mixed with a little sass and a few tin foil hat theories from Jeanette.✨ Grateful to Chomper Champs for bringing so much positivity and fun to the pediatric SLP space. Follow the link to order the 🦺 Fix SLP Construction Accessory Kit 🧰, or bundle and save. Fix SLP receives 20% of every purchase, so it’s a win for everyone! ✨🚧 Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.🚧 Become a sustaining partner to support our work.🚧 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.🚧 Find all our information at fixslp.com, and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.🚧 Email us at [email protected].🚧 Leave a message on our Minivan Meltdown line! ★ Support this podcast ★

CPT 92507 Option B is officially in front of the AMA Editorial Panel, and this is the week that decides what happens next. In this episode, Jeanette Benigas, PhD/SLP, sits down with a private practice owner of 44 years, Mary Billings, MS, CCC/SLP, who has seen Medicare cuts before, and is sounding the alarm again. What’s being proposed isn’t just a coding change. It has the potential to reshape how SLPs document, bill, and treat patients across every setting, including private practice, schools, hospitals, Medicaid, and Medicare. No one is exempt.You’ll hear exactly why the applicants submitted Option B, what’s at risk if SLPs stay silent, and why this moment is so rare. Opportunities like this don’t come around often, and once decisions are made, they can take decades to undo. If you care about your practice, your patients, or the future of this profession, this is the time to pay attention. This is the moment.Key takeawaysJeanette talks with Mary Billings, a private practice owner in her 44th year of practice, about "option B," a second proposal on the codes that would replace CPT 92507. It is for SLPs who want to understand option B and take part in the AMA CPT Editorial Panel meeting.Mary says she received an earlier ASHA survey on how the new codes were lined up, separate from the October valuation survey. She says it took her a full hour and questions how the responses could have been reviewed in time.Jeanette explains the AMA suggested a second option in case the panel does not accept the original application, option A, which would send the codes back to be redone. She calls option B a compromise based on more than 950 public comments.Option B modifies the definitions of the codes that were already approved. Jeanette says there is no public comment period for it, but interested parties who sign the confidentiality agreement can download both options.Interested parties can ask questions during the panel meeting. Jeanette warns that repeated questions could lead the panel to end discussion and move to a vote, so she suggests a prioritized list and crossing off questions already asked.Jeanette worries that limits on how many codes fit in a session will push SLPs to bill the highest-paying code. She says that would give payers a flawed dataset for future decisions.Mary argues SLPs cannot divide their work by brain region the way the codes require. She points to breathing being folded into resonance and auditory processing being left out, which she says ASHA called "inferred."Mary says Medicare changes tend to spread to Medicaid and commercial payers, affecting visits and covered services. She urges every SLP to register with the AMA as an interested party.In this episode02:41 – Mary Billings' background and why she got involved11:26 – The earlier ASHA survey on the new codes17:29 – Why SLPs cannot treat one area at a time20:35 – Breathing, resonance, and missing codes24:05 – What option B is and how to read it27:29 – Asking questions at the panel meeting36:33 – Focus on descriptors, including auditory processing40:56 – Why SLPs cannot stack codes like surgeons Connect with Mary at Billings Speech Pathology Services or Function Focus AcademyThis episode is sponsored by Metro EHS, a growing, clinician-supported organization using a collaborative care model across disciplines. Learn more at metroehs.com.✨ Grateful to Chomper Champs for bringing so much positivity and fun to the pediatric SLP space. Follow the link to order the 🦺 Fix SLP Construction Accessory Kit 🧰, or bundle and save. Fix SLP receives 20% of every purchase, so it’s a win for everyone! ✨🚧 Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.🚧 Become a sustaining partner to support our work.🚧 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.🚧 Find all our information at fixslp.com, and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.🚧 Email us at [email protected].🚧 Leave a message on our Minivan Meltdown line! ★ Support this podcast ★

Leaders from the West Virginia Speech-Language-Hearing Association (WVSHA) join the conversation to discuss advocacy, leadership, and the role of state organizations in speech-language pathology.Dr. Tori Gilbert, SLP, private practice owner and current association president, and Allegra Cornaglia, PhD/SLP, assistant professor and convention chair, share their experiences working within a state association and supporting clinicians across West Virginia. They discuss how WVSHA operates, opportunities for SLPs to get involved, and why clinician leadership at the state level matters.For SLPs interested in advocacy, professional leadership, or understanding how state-level organizations influence the profession, this discussion offers insight into how change happens within SLP.🚧 Check out or join the West Virginia Speech-Language-Hearing Association here.🚧 Register for the WVSHA Convention, April 28-29, 2026, and don't forget to use FIXWV at checkout for the membership rate, no matter who you are or where you live.🚧 Follow WVSHA on Facebook.✨ Grateful to Chomper Champs for bringing so much positivity and fun to the pediatric SLP space. Follow the link to preorder the 🦺 Fix SLP Construction Accessory Kit 🧰, or bundle and save. Fix SLP receives 20% of every purchase, so it’s a win for everyone! ✨Register for the directory at speechconnect.org and support the fundraiser that will help launch Speech Connect nationwide.🚧 Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.🚧 Become a sustaining partner to support our work.🚧 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.🚧 Find all our information at fixslp.com, and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.🚧 Email us at [email protected].🚧 Leave a message on our Minivan Meltdown line! ★ Support this podcast ★