The ASHA Leader - February 2015 - 62

aSHa newS

New Toolkit
Helps Providers
Navigate
Medicaid
Making sense of Medicaid can
be frustrating for providers,
because coverage and billing
rules are different from state to
state-and even within a state.
A new toolkit (on.asha.org/
medicaid-toolkit) for audiologists
and speech-language pathologists
who participate in the Medicaid
program provides a helpful
starting point as they traverse
their way through the system.
Medicaid is jointly funded by
the federal and state governments
to help states provide medical
care-including audiology and
speech-language services-to
those who are low-income or
medically needy. Each state
administers its own program
within broad federal guidelines
and establishes its own eligibility
standards, covered services and
payment rates.
The toolkit addresses key
Medicaid issues relevant to all
Medicaid programs:
*	 Medical necessity
*	 Qualified providers
*	 Medicaid in schools
*	 Medicaid state plans
*	 Credentialing
*	 Documentation
*	 Early and periodic screening,
diagnosis and treatment
*	 Managed care
*	 Medicaid expansion
*	 Medicaid integrity program
*	 Supervision
*	 Telepractice

62

February 2015 |

THe aSHa Le aDer

Board of Ethics Decisions
The ASHA Board of Ethics has
found Juliane Sardina of Miami,
Florida, a member certified in
speech-language pathology, in
violation of the association's Code of
Ethics (2010).
By not providing direct (onsite)
supervision of speech-language
pathology assistants and by billing
for SLPAs' services as if those
services were provided by an SLP,
Sardina violated the following
principles:
Principle of Ethics I: Individuals
shall honor their responsibility
to hold paramount the welfare of
persons they serve professionally or
who are participants in research and
scholarly activities, and they shall
treat animals involved in research in
a humane manner.
Principle of Ethics I, Rule F:
Individuals who hold the Certificate
of Clinical Competence may delegate
tasks related to provision of clinical
services to assistants, technicians,
support personnel, or any other
persons only if those services are
appropriately supervised, realizing
that the responsibility for client
welfare remains with the certified
individual.
Principle of Ethics I, Rule O:
Individuals shall not charge for
services not rendered, nor shall they
misrepresent services rendered,
products dispensed, or research and
scholarly activities conducted.
Principle of Ethics III, Rule E:
Individuals shall not defraud or
engage in any scheme to defraud in
connection with obtaining payment,
reimbursement, or grants for services
rendered, research conducted, or
products dispensed.
The sanction is withholding of
membership and certification for 12
months, effective Nov. 11, 2014.
The ASHA Board of Ethics has
found Belinda Worley of Jefferson
City, Missouri, a member certified
in speech-language pathology, in
violation of the association's Code of

Ethics (2003 and 2010).
By inappropriate billing of 318
claims for individual services
when those services were provided
simultaneously and billed by other
allied health professionals, Worley
violated the following principles and
rules:
Principle I: Individuals shall
honor their responsibility to hold
paramount the welfare of persons
they serve professionally or [who
are (2010)] participants in research
and scholarly activities, and [they
(2010)] shall treat animals involved
in research in a humane manner.
Principle I, Rule O (2010)/Rule M
(2003): Individuals shall not charge
for services not rendered, nor shall
they misrepresent services rendered,
products dispensed, or research and
scholarly activities conducted.
Principle IV (2003): Individuals
shall honor their responsibilities
to the professions and their
relationships with colleagues,
students, and members of allied
professions. Individuals shall
uphold the dignity and autonomy
of the professions, maintain
harmonious interprofessional and
intraprofessional relationships, and
accept the professions' self-imposed
standards.
Principle IV (2010): Individuals
shall honor their responsibilities
to the professions and their
relationships with colleagues,
students, and members of other
professions and disciplines.
Principle IV, Rule C (2010)/
Rule B (2003): Individuals shall
not engage in dishonesty, fraud,
deceit, or misrepresentation [,
sexual harassment, or any other
form of conduct that adversely
reflects on the professions or on the
individual's fitness to serve persons
professionally (2003)].
The sanction is censure, effective
Dec. 4, 2014.
http://on.asha.org/medicaid-toolkit http://on.asha.org/medicaid-toolkit
The ASHA Leader - February 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The ASHA Leader - February 2015
