The Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) is holding a Business Plan Competition! All students will have access to great resources throughout the entire process of creating their business plan, and winners will receive scholarships!

The Student Academy of Doctors of Audiology (SADA) will also be hosting live webinars by experts in a variety of topics in practice management. Who can benefit from our Practice Management Webinar Series? Students who plan on becoming: clinic directors, owners of private practices, 40% of all audiologists who work in private practice at some point during their careers, and Business Plan competitors! The Webinar series is designed to aid in creating the business plan, educate students who may not have a Practice Management course, and provide the opportunity to ask questions to the experts!

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The Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA), a recognized leader in the advancement of evidence-based clinical practices in the delivery of audiologic and vestibular services, applauds President Donald J. Trump for his commitment to “eliminate regulations that create inefficiencies or otherwise undermine patient outcomes,” as outlined in Executive Order #13890 on Protecting and Improving Medicare for Our Nation’s Seniors, issued on October 3, 2019.

ADA appreciates the opportunity to provide information to advance the Administration’s innovative Patients over Paperwork initiative through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which seeks to eliminate regulations that contain more restrictive supervision requirements than existing state scope of practice laws, or that limit health professionals from practicing at the top of their license.

Archaic Medicare regulations impede access to timely hearing and balance health care services for millions of Medicare Part B beneficiaries, create unnecessary office visits and Medicare expenditures, and prevent audiologists from performing the safe, effective diagnostic testing services that they are specifically trained and licensed to provide in all 50 states and U.S. territories for patients of all ages.

Of particular concern is the baseless requirement, exclusive to Medicare Part B beneficiaries, that mandates them to obtain a physician order before seeing an audiologist for medically-necessary diagnostic testing, as a requirement for coverage. By contrast, private insurers, including most Medicare Advantage plans, allow and encourage patients to go directly to audiologists for the provision of covered services. Other federal programs, including the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Federal Employees Health Benefit Plan, also allow patients to seek diagnostic services directly from audiologists, without the need for a physician order.

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Audiologists have an opportunity to bring the invisible handicap of hearing loss and risk of falls due to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc to this federal agency. Please click on this link and add you comments along with data, research etc, which you can find on our website.

Add your voice to the silent epidemic of hearing loss and balance issues! Be a part of the solution.

ADA Early Career Professionals and Students are invited to attend a town hall forum on Monday, January 27, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. EASTERN. During the forum, hosted by the ECP/Student working group, we will discuss ideas about the projects, tools, resources, education, and networking opportunities that will be most useful to early career professionals (within the first 5 years of practice), and students transitioning over the next 3-18 months

Attention ADA members, please find important information from Dr. Kim Cavitt regarding MIPS Measures for 2020.

Merit Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS):
The 2020 Medicare Final Rule maintained the 2019 low volume thresholds ($90,000 in Medicare Part B covered professional services, providing covered care to 200 or more Medicare beneficiaries and providing 200 or more covered Medicare services). As a result, most audiologists will continue to be voluntary MIPS reporters, with the exception of those working within a Medicare Alternative Payment Model (APM; this is uncommon in private audiology practices with no medical practice or hospital affiliation).

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ASHA, AAA, ADA pursuing meaningful hearing health care for Medicare beneficiaries
 

On December 12, 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3, which includes Section 602 entitled, “Providing Coverage for Hearing Care under the Medicare Program” [PDF]. Section 602 of the bill adds new hearing benefits, including hearing aids, for Medicare beneficiaries with severe to profound hearing loss and also includes a number of provisions sought by audiologists and consumers.
 

Plans are underway for AuDacity 2020, to be held November 2-4, 2020 at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center near Dallas, Texas.

Cyber Monday Special: Register for AuDacity 2020 today for only $500—and receive more than 30% off the regular rate! This audacious Cyber Monday registration deal is only valid until Midnight tonight (Pacific time).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 25, 2019

LOS ALTOS, Calif., MENLO PARK, Calif., LEXINGTON, Ky. --- The Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) is pleased to announce that Jane Baxter, Au.D., and Deborah Clark, Au.D., along with their entire practice, Pacific Hearing Service, were selected by a distinguished panel of their peers to receive the Leo Doerfler Award. The Leo Doerfler Award, the ADA’s most prestigious honor, recognizes a private practice audiologist who has demonstrated outstanding clinical services in the community throughout his or her career.

“The ADA provides vital support and education for us, our audiologists, and the entire hearing healthcare industry,” said Dr. Clark. “It’s exciting to be added to this amazing list of past recipients.”

ADA, AAA, and ASHA continue efforts towards meaningful hearing health care for Medicare beneficiaries

On October 22, 2019, the House Ways and Means Committee passed the Medicare Hearing Act of 2019 (H.R. 4618), as amended. The bill, originally introduced by U.S. Representatives Lucy McBath (D-GA) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI), adds new hearing benefits, including hearing aids, for Medicare beneficiaries with severe to profound hearing loss.

The Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA), the American Academy of Audiology (AAA), and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) worked diligently over the past two weeks to advocate for improvements to H.R. 4618, to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries have meaningful access to hearing related services provided by audiologists consistent with the Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act of 2019 (H.R. 4056). We are pleased to report that, with the help of H.R. 4056 Congressional sponsors and cosponsors and the House Ways and Means Committee, H.R. 4618 was amended to include a number of the provisions in H.R. 4056.

We are just over a month away from AuDacity 2019, where audiologists, students, staff, and other advocates from around the country will join us in Washington D.C. on November 14th as we advocate for the Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act (MAASA). There is still time to register and join us on Capitol Hill for our 2019 Lobby Day. Your legislators need to hear from you about the impact this much needed reform will have on your patients.