Health Care Caucus Topics
Caucus was held March 11, 2006

Details from discussions and plans for action follow.

Feeding Assistants

Members questioned if there had been any recent legislative activity on the topic.  No one was aware of any current activity.  Many attendees requested more information about the role of a feeding assistant.

Proposed Action:  Obtain information from the Ohio Department of Health pertaining to feeding assistants and post a link on the website or disseminate information via the newsletter to members.

Status:  An email was sent to Health Care members on 3/21/06 with the “dining assistant” rule and a link to the ODH website.  The rule can be found as a PDF file at odh.ohio.gov/rules/final/13701-17.aspx.

Feeding Waivers

Members discussed the validity of feeding waivers when clients, family, and/or legal guardians do not agree with or will not follow diet or safe swallow recommendations.

Proposed Action:  Share thoughts and comments with members.

Status:  Discussion points follow.  Members in attendance shared information from seminars offered at convention regarding what should be done in these cases.  To be valid in court, it seems that all decisions about care should be made between the client (and/or legal guardian) and the client’s primary caregiver (physician).  Diet and safe swallowing recommendations should appear in the physician’s section of the medical record along with the client’s (and/or legal guardian) decision to follow or not follow those recommendations.  The primary caregiver (physician) must determine the appropriate course of action should the client (and/or legal guardian) not wish to follow recommendations and document it.  For example, if a recommendation is for a client to be on thickened liquids but the client refuses, the physician must determine if the client should be offered thin liquids by the facility/staff (to prevent dehydration and monitor consumption of the liquids) or not.

Insurance Initiative

Katrina Zeit, Chair of OSLHA's Insurance Initiative, shared Anthem’s recent decision to cover services for children with developmental speech and hearing disorders, thanks to the efforts of the insurance initiative.  She discussed the insurance initiative’s current project for increasing awareness of  what speech and hearing professionals do through consumer testimonials.  Forms for consumers were distributed.

Proposed Action:   A webvideo, created from the testimonials gathered from members' submissions, are available to view from 7/5/06 through 8/13/06 promoting our professions at:  www.wcpo.com/advertisers/oslha/

Status:  Information has been posted on the website

Medicare B Therapy Caps

The cap is back but there is now an exception process, both manual and automatic.  Certain diagnoses and Medicare certified beds are exceted but continued medical necessity needs to be documented.  Manual exceptions can also be made.

Proposed Action: Post the ASHA link for the exception process.

Status:  Link has been posted

Proposed Action:  Investigate the feasibility of having a link on the OSLHA website for members to print a postcard requesting the therapy cap be repealed, that can be sent to legislators.

Status:  Use this link to write to your legislator:  www.asha.org/about/legislation-advocacy/grassroots/takeaction.htm

Continuing Education

Members would like to see continued offerings of a medical nature at convention next year.  Members would like to hear overviews of newer therapy techniques that require additional training or certification so they may decide if pursuing that training would be appropriate for them.

Proposed Action:  Forward to convention chairs for next year.

Status:  Completed

Proposed Action:  Solicit members for convention topics.

Status:  Over a dozen ideas were received from members and forwarded to the Convention Planning Committee.

Research Liaisons

Members understand the need to participate in outcome based research but feel ill prepared to do so.

Proposed Action: Discuss with the Supervision Practice Area,  methods and opportunities to partner with members in the university settings.

Status:  We are working on this goal. You may refer to ASHA for ongoing research tutorials.  Long on to www.asha.org

Proposed Action:  Determine the feasibility of having universities man a booth, similar to the recruiting area, at next year’s convention where research opportunities could be made available to those looking to do research.

Status:  A booth will not be used, but there is a Short Course being offered:  SC 12, Friday 1:45-5:00 p.m., Clinical Research: Where to Start and How To Do It.