CURRENT ADVOCACY HIGHLIGHTS AND INFORMATION
ASHA AND SPEAK PROJECT EFFORTS
ASHA Capitol Hill Day – September 23
- September 10–23: ASHA and FixSLP are gathering patient letters to print and distribute.
- Patient Letters Needed – Friends of SLPs: https://www.speakproject.net/Friends-of-SLPs
- “Your story has power” – The SPEAK Project will craft responses into a professional advocacy letter and deliver it directly to officials in Congress responsible for therapy funding.
- ASHA: https://www.asha.org/news/2026/send-your-voice-to-capitol-hill-write-a-letter-well-hand-deliver-it/
ASHA POSTS NEWLY RELEASED CPT CODES
NCSHLA EFFORTS REGARDING CPT CODE CHANGES
1. Collaborative Partnership with NC Medicaid
Our introductory meeting with NC Medicaid leadership was constructive and empathetic. State officials explicitly shared that they do not want to disrupt provider practices or compromise beneficiary access to speech pathology services. They recognize that a January 1 transition timeline creates significant operational friction for both the state and private practices, and they expressed a clear commitment to work alongside us on practical solutions.
2. Advocating for a Phased Implementation (July 1, 2027)
To allow proper preparation for clinicians and state systems alike, NCSHLA proposed exploring a six-month implementation delay to July 1, 2027. NC Medicaid is currently researching their administrative and technical options to determine if a state-level delay can be executed, with the shared understanding that any interim path must remain budget-neutral for the state.
3. Planning for Uninterrupted Revenue
While the exact technical details depend on state authority and incoming CMS rules, our top priority with NC Medicaid is ensuring continuous, uninterrupted billing and revenue for practices. If NC Medicaid establishes a temporary administrative code or billing bridge to manage the transition while 92507 is deleted, we will work directly with them to ensure providers have clear instructions well in advance.
4. Expansion of State Advocacy: Infant-Toddler Program Outreach
In addition to our work with NC Medicaid, NCSHLA Private Practice Professional Affairs Committee member and NC CDSA Provider Taskforce Liaison Ben Todys is actively working with the CDSA and NC Infant-Toddler Program (ITP) leadership. This initiative aims to proactively prepare for the January 1, 2027 deletion of CPT 92507 and address its potential effects on authorizations, reimbursement, and access to care for Infant-Toddler providers and families. Ben will continue working with state leadership to establish clear, statewide guidance, and we will share updates with members as they become available.
5. Shared Methodology & Collaborative Strategy
To support nationwide advocacy efforts for the greater good of the profession, we have shared our NC Roadmap and methodology—including our strategic framework for outreach, fundraising, and study design—with other state speech-language-hearing associations and legitimate advocacy groups.
Please rest assured that no individual practice financial data, resulting study analysis, or white paper were shared with external associations. Our white paper containing aggregated cost data was distributed exclusively to our donors, NC Medicaid, and submitted as part of our formal CMS public comment letter, which is now public record.
6. Rate Modeling & Payer Strategy
NCSHLA will actively engage with NC Medicaid on rate calculations as federal details become available. Our primary goal is ensuring initial rate structures maintain financial stability and budget neutrality for speech pathology providers across North Carolina. (Please note: While NCSHLA represents the profession on overarching Medicaid policy and rate modeling, individual practices remain responsible for negotiating their own commercial contracts).
7. Direct All Inquiries Through NCSHLA
To maintain a unified, highly effective advocacy front, we strongly request that individual practices, facility owners, and clinicians refrain from contacting NC Medicaid directly. Having a single, coordinated point of contact through NCSHLA ensures our advocacy team can present clear data and keep state discussions focused on protecting provider sustainability.
Central Advocacy Email: ADVOCACY@NCSHLA.org (Monitored directly by Natalie Woempner)
Next Steps & Payer Outreach
NC Medicaid and commercial payers cannot finalize rate structures or technical policy edits until CMS releases the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule in mid-November.
Commercial Payer Outreach: We have prepared a formal educational letter for major private health insurance plans across North Carolina to inform them of the timeline, coding dynamics, and operational needs of speech-language pathology practices. We are actively sending this letter and working with our lobbyist to reach private payers.
What You Can Do Now
Engage Your EMR/EHR Vendors: Reach out to your software providers to educate them about the upcoming CPT code changes and timelines, ensuring they are actively preparing their billing engines for whichever bridge or code mapping is enacted.
Stay Informed: Continue educating yourselves and your clinical staff using established industry resources, including ASHA, AAPPSPA, The Speak Project, and Gawenda Seminars.
Support the initiative-
Help fund the analysis needed to advocate effectively
https://www.ncshla.org/Donate
(Please include “Advocacy 2026 Private Practice” in the comments)
NCSHLA is actively leading these discussions and will issue official guidance as soon as federal rules drop. We are committed to keeping you informed, protected, and fully prepared well ahead of implementation.
Thank you for your continued support, engagement, and dedication to our profession and the patients we serve.
NCSHLA Private Practice Committee
NCSHLA Champions SLP Value and Patient Safety at 2026 Legislative Advocacy Day
On Tuesday, June 9th, a dedicated team of Speech-Language Pathologists stepped up to represent NCSHLA at the state legislative building for our annual Legislative Advocacy Day. A massive thank you to Stephanie Molina (and her daughter), Rachel Meinel, Blake Hudson, and Jessica Kinard for volunteering their time, expertise, and passion to ensure our professional voices were heard in the halls of government.
We also extend our deep gratitude to our NCSHLA lobbyist, Ashley Perkinson, for organizing these vital, face-to-face appointments with lawmakers.
NCSHLA MEMBERS prepared a comment letter to DHHS Medicaid regarding the proposed revisions to the ABA Clinical Coverage Policy 8F
Our lobbyist, Ashley Perkinson, also shared our comments with key legislators in order show our support for helping save state Medicaid dollars. We encouraged policy provisions that keep ABA aligned with similar professional, clinical and ethical requirements that OTs, PTs, and Speech Pathologists must follow (as in DHHS Medicaid Clinical Coverage policy 10-A) and demonstrated how SLPs can help alleviate service barriers to children.
Read our comment letter here: NCSHLA Letter 5.29.26v2.docx
CMS Reverses Decision Regarding Qualifications of Provisional Licensees
ASHA has shared the below important news from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
As of July 28, 2025, CMS has confirmed that it is reversing its previous guidance regarding the qualifications of provisional licensees, including clinical fellows (CFs), to now align with state licensure requirements. This allows individuals holding provisional licenses to provide services to Medicare beneficiaries—provided they meet their respective state’s licensure requirements. Thank you for your advocacy and efforts in helping to make this outcome possible.
See Advocacy News: CMS Reverses Its Interpretation of a Qualified SLP: Clinical Fellows Cleared to Bill Medicare
ASHA is emailing members who have identified as working with CFs and will be posting on all social channels. Please feel free to share on your respective sites and help notify others!
Changes to Dual Licensure Requirements for AUD
On September 30th, HB 296 passed both chambers of NC Legislature and was enacted into law, marking a solid step forward for transparency for patients and improved regulatory barriers in practice. This legislation eliminated dual licensure requirements for audiologists with master’s degrees—an unnecessary barrier for professionals who have been serving the field since before the new standard of doctoral-level training. The legislation also updated the references to audiology assistants that were conflicting in previous legislation. Audiology assistants are already regulated and practice under the supervision of licensed audiologists. Finally, this bill improves patient choice and health care knowledge in establishing that patients must be provided a written disclosure when purchasing a “locked” hearing aid.