ASHA Announces Campaign to Promote Audiologic Rehabilitation at Atlanta Meeting

WHAT
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association will announce a campaign "Tools for Better Hearing" to promote audiologic rehabilitation that includes

• Securing legislation to help Medicare recipients with hearing loss


• Obtaining reimbursement for services provided by audiologists


• Providing educational information to consumers


• Working with private health plans to encourage coverage of audiologic rehabilitation services, and


• Supporting state legislation to expand children's services for hearing loss.

The Medicare Audiologic Rehabilitation Act would assist Medicare recipients with hearing problems who need to learn how to fully use and manage devices they use for hearing loss. The legislation would also help seniors with managing problems of balance, increasing the ability to distinguish different sounds, lip reading, and the modifying living and work surroundings to maximize communication.

WHO
Nancy Creaghead, ASHA President
Amanda Beers, Miss Washington 2002 (consumer with hearing loss)
Larry Higdon, VP, Governmental and Social Policies
Susan Brannon, VP, Professional Practices in Audiology
George Purvis, VP, Quality of Service in Audiology
Margaret Skinner, Audiology Researcher, Washington University School
of Medicine
Joe Montano, Convention Co-Chair for Audiology

WHEN
Thursday, November 21, 2002 at 9:00 am.

WHERE
Georgia World Congress Center, Room 319B