Description

How SLPs Get Paid

Friday, February 14, 2025
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM ET
No ASHA Credit/ No Cost to Attend 

This introductory level presentation will cover basic principles of health care payment, including working with payers (e.g., Medicare, Medicaid, private/commercial insurers), reviewing fee schedules and insurance contracts, and understanding coding systems (e.g., Current Procedural Terminology and International Classification of Diseases), as well as provide guidance for efficient and compliant billing and documentation. This course is specifically designed for graduate students and practicing clinicians with little to no experience in real-world billing and payment across settings. 

Outcomes-based documentation, health care coding systems, billing, and coverage criteria for speech-language pathology services are each part of a dynamic process making the business of providing such services increasingly more complicated. Payers of health care services are always looking for ways to decrease payments and employers are always looking for ways to slow inflation related to health insurance premiums. It is imperative that speech-language pathologists, especially those new to the health care world, understand the relationships among the code systems, documentation, compliance, and coverage criteria and the impact these relationships have on payment of services and timely patient access to care. 

The dependence of fair reimbursement on accurate billing, coding, and documentation to support the speechlanguage pathologist’s diagnosis will be emphasized. The audience will be provided with strategies for efficient claims submission such as understanding different payers’ criteria and requirements, choosing appropriate CPT and ICD codes, and the importance of demonstrating skilled care. Participants will also learn how to appeal denials, if needed, and to learn from billing mistakes to ensure future compliance and minimize disruptions in patient care. 

This session will provide real-world clinical case examples and allow time for audience questions.

Registration Link