CHC’s Executive Director, Dr. Laurie Hanin, PhD, CCC-A has been elected to the Board of Directors of the New York State Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NYSSLHA), effective January 2013. NYSSLHA is the professional organization in New York state that represents the professions of speech-language pathology and audiology and individuals served by members of these professions. Its current membership totals 16,500.
NYSSLHA plays a very active role in advocating both for the professionals and consumers of these fields in the halls of the state Capitol, legislative offices, and regulatory agencies. Some of NYSSLHA’s legislative victories in the past year have included the defeat of legislation to allow physicians to dispense hearing aids on a for-profit basis, defeat of a state budget proposal to impose new co-payments in Medicaid clients for audiology and speech services, passage of legislation at the last minute to exempt persons with traumatic brain injury from the 20 visit limitation on speech, physical, and occupational therapies in the Medicaid program.
NYSSLHA met on May 5th with officials at the NYS Department of Health regarding the low reimbursement rates under the new APG system for certain audiology services. Dr. Hanin was part of the delegation that traveled to Albany for this meeting. “I was so impressed by the attention given by NYSSLHA to this issue and how hard their staff fought for agencies such as CHC to be reimbursed fairly for hearing aid services,” said Dr. Hanin. “I am looking forward to the opportunity to work with this organization and help further CHC’s message across the state.”