Search this site.

Site contents.

COMMUNITY AND HOSPITAL SERVICES

The Community and Hospital Services Committee consists of speech, language and hearing professionals from across the state of Michigan. The functions of this committee include:

·    Monitoring issues affecting provision of services in medical speech pathology and audiology; 

·    Coordinating  the Medical Speech Pathology Forum held at MSHA Annual Conference;

·    Reviewing nominations and selecting recipients for the MSHA Clinical Service Award; 

·     Submitting suggestions to the Program Committee for Short Course presenters at the MSHA Annual Conference;

·     Assisting the Program Committee in reviewing papers submitted for the Medical Track at the MSHA Annual Conference;

·    Maintaining contacts with reimbursement agencies including Medicaid, Medicare and Blue Cross.   

The Augmentative and Alternative Communication Group is a subcommittee of Community and Hospital Services and provides a forum for professionals working with augmentative and alternative communication across all employment settings.  

Some issues the committee will be discussing in 2008 include:

• PSB: What will Medicaid need or require to ensure good quality services to its clients?

• Medical SLP Forum: Suggestions for topics and speakers.

• Clinical Service Award (CSA): Do enough people/facilities know about it?

• Reimbursement: State and National

• Licensure

• Expanding the committee's membership

Upcoming Meeting Schedule

The next meeting for the Community and Hospital Services Committee will be Thursday, May 1st, 6:00 pm at the home of Fran Eldis.

For meeting location and directions, please contact the MSHA office, or  contact Beverly Jaynes, VP for Community and Hospital Services for more information.  To view the 2006 Community and Hospital Services Annual Report use the following link CHS Report

Minutes from the most recent meeting

Blue Cross Blue Shield Speech Pathology Update

Speech Pathology Claims Processing Improved

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has updated the speech pathology benefit to clarify payable diagnoses for all groups with speech pathology coverage. Treatment of chronic development or congenital conditions for certain pediatric patients is now payable. However, developmental speech conditions must be severe to be payable. So, please document the severity of the developmental condition in the patient’s medical record. Underlying medical conditions or cognitive diagnoses should not be submitted as the primary diagnosis, but may be included as a secondary diagnosis. The following is a list of payable conditions:

307.0 Stuttering

315.31 Expressive language disorder 

315.32 Mixed receptive-expressive language disorder 

315.39 Other developmental articulation disorder: Dyslalia 

315.4 Developmental coordination disorder: Dyspraxia syndrome 

784.3 Aphasia

784.41 Aphonia

784.49 Voice disturbance: Dysphonia, Hoarseness, Hypernasility, Hyponasility

784.5 Dysarthria, Dysphasia, Slurred speech

784.69 Apraxia

787.2 Dysphagia

Please note:  Groups may impose age restriction criteria on some developmental disorders. If speech therapy is performed for a condition that is not an approved diagnosis, the member will be responsible for the cost of services.

Speech Pathology claims are now processed automatically. Submission of medical records is no longer required when the primary diagnosis is an approved speech condition.

For more info visit www.bcbsm.com

Community and Hospital Services Committee Meeting Highlights

Medical Speech Pathology Forum

If you or your organization would be interested in helping to sponsor the Medical SLP Forum luncheon at MSHA's Annual Conference, please contact the MSHA office.

I am in the process of gathering information regarding contingent rates.  Please email me at craig_n_bev@yahoo.com  to let me know what your contingent rate is.

The CHS Committee is wondering what is going on with swallowing intervention especially after a client leaves the primary medical care setting.  If you have any information or concerns please email me at craig_n_bev@yahoo.com 

STARs Network (State Advocates for Reimbursement)

• Established May 2003 as an outgrowth of ASHA's initiative on Health Care Reimbursement.

• Each state association is invited to provide a member to participate (44 states represented as of 01/04).

• Each state representative(s) develops a network within the state.

• State representative(s) nationally communicate via bi-monthly phone conference and via listserve.

• STAR Network is facilitated by Maureen Thompson, M.A., CCC-A, ASHA Director of Private Health Plans Advocacy. 

For more information please use the following link stars network  If you would like to volunteer to be an Advocate or would like information on being a STAR Advocate please contact Tim Weise. 

If you would like to volunteer to be an Advocate or would like information on being a STAR Advocate please contact Tim Weise.

Clinical Service Award

The Clinical Service Award has been developed to give visible recognition to outstanding clinical speech, language and hearing programs in the state of Michigan, as well as to those persons responsible for their development and implementation.  The inaugural Clinical Service Award was given at MSHA’s 2000 Conference in Grand Rapids.

The Clinical Service Award is open to any speech, language and hearing program conducted in a clinical setting (such as speech and hearing clinic, hospital, sub acute rehabilitation facility, etc.).  This award is not open to public school programs.  At least one member of the nominated program must be a MSHA member.  A program may be nominated by anyone – client, caregiver, colleague, program director.  The Community and Hospital Services Committee may conduct on-site visits in making the final determination for award recipients.  

The Michigan Speech-Language-Hearing Association

Proudly Presents the

Clinical Service Award Nomination Form

Guidelines for the Clinical Service Award  

TOP OF PAGE