Advocating (Again) for Medicare Coverage of Virtual Speech Therapy

Link for Action Center Letter: https://www.asha.org/advocacy/takeaction/ Please scroll and choose “Make Telehealth Access Permanent for Medicare Beneficiaries”

People with Parkinson's rely on professionals that have advanced training to help assess and improve their speech, voice, thinking, and swallowing. However, not all cities, towns, or villages have Parkinson's trained Speech Language Pathologists. Even if they did have clinics that had trained professionals, there are considerable barriers to transportation and time needed to complete the appointments. That's where virtual therapy, or telehealth, services come in. Anyone, in any location, can find a Speech Language Pathologist that is trained in Parkinson's care and work with them virtually - on their computer, phone or tablet. Unfortunately, we’re facing a future that this will no longer be considered a covered benefit of Medicare Part B. As of September 30th, 2025, Medicare’s coverage for virtual speech therapy is set to expire, and without new legislation, this essential service will no longer be accessible for many with chronic conditions.

Virtual speech therapy has been a lifeline for many Medicare beneficiaries, especially for people with Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions. It allows individuals to work on communication, thinking, and swallowing skills from the comfort of their home, without the need for long commutes or reliance on care partners for transportation. For those living in rural or underserved areas, virtual therapy is often the only way to access specialized care that may not be available locally. However, unless Congress acts, these benefits will no longer be covered after September 30th, 2025.

Here’s where you can help. The Parkinson’s community and supporters need to urge Congress to pass legislation that allows speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists to remain permanent telehealth providers under Medicare. By becoming permanent Medicare telehealth providers, SLPs and audiologists can continue delivering the specialized, convenient care that is so essential to the well-being and independence of those they serve.

Here's the link: https://www.asha.org/advocacy/takeaction/

We've worked together to pass the legistlation before (blog) so I'm hopeful we can do it again. Thank you for joining in this advocacy, for raising your voice, and for helping to make a difference.