CAA Renames PAC Fund

During her professional career, Teresa M. Clark Au.D., made invaluable contributions to the field of audiology, both nationally and in the State of California, most recently as chair of the California Academy of Audiology PAC.

In honor of her lasting contribution, the CAA is pleased to announce that our PAC fund is being renamed in her honor.

The official name will be "The Teresa M. Clark PAC, sponsored by the California Academy of Audiology".

CAA would like to extend special recognition and gratitude to Drs. Dave Majit and Gary Dorf of Hearing Instrument Consultants, Inc., for their generous inaugural donation to this newly named fund in memory and honor of our friend and colleague, Teresa.

CAA Legislative Update - AB1535 signed

On Sunday, October 11, Governor Schwarzenegger signed 79 bills out of the 704 on his desk.  Among those signed, and of interest to us were SB 821 and AB1535.

Here are the main highlights of these bills:

1. Eliminates Dual Licensure for California audiologists
2. Abolishes the Hearing Aid Dispensers Bureau (HADB) and merges the Bureau with the Speech, Language and Audiology Board (SLPAB)
3. Reduces duplicative licensing fees for California's dispensing audiologists
4. Reduces duplicative CEU requirements.
5. Eliminates three hearing aid advertisement regulations that contradict our scope of practice but will remain in effort for HADs.
6. Changes entry level degree in California to an AuD for audiologists graduating after 2007.
7. Relaxes supervisory requirements for Audiology aides from direct to general supervision for many tasks.
8. Changes RPE licensure requirements for 4th year AuD students

This was an aggressively fought battle, but thanks to our Sacramento and grass roots advocacy we won!  We look forward to the improvement in regulatory enforcement which will undoubtedly result in improved hearing health care delivery for Californians.  See Dave Jones' press release.

Here is the official text of AB 1535.

Here is the official text of SB 821.

As discussed at conference, the hearing which will challenge the reduction in Medical fees and benefits including the elimination of Medical Optional benefits (Gray Panthers of  S.F. vs. Governor Schwarzenegger) will take place on October 22nd. Stay tuned to the website for updates. (Posted 10/12/2009)

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The 11th Annual CAA Conference will be held at the Hyatt Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco from September 30–October 2, 2010.

2009 CAA Conference Retrospective

CAA Members and 2009 Conference attendees now have access to copies of the 2009 Conference Presentations.

2009 Conference Image Gallery

Medi-Cal OpBens Update

TEN-PERCENT MEDI-CAL FEE REDUCTION FOUND TO BE ILLEGAL—
OPTIONAL BENEFITS MAY BE SAVED

On July 9 2009, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) violated federal law last year by reducing Medi-Cal payments to health care professionals by ten percent. The 3-0 decision found that the financial problems being experienced by California could not take precedence over federal law that stipulates funding levels for health care for the poor. This decision may have an impact on the more recent elimination of several optional benefits categories for Medi-Cal patients including audiology services.

Details

On June 29, 2009, the California Academy of Audiology submitted a list of 16 questions to the DHCS regarding these reductions in Medi-Cal optional benefits. The questions sought to clarify a number of classifications and descriptors that were unclear and somewhat confusing.

While CAA has not received a response from the DHCS, it has been learned that an August 12th hearing has been scheduled for the San Francisco federal district court on a Medicaid Defense Fund lawsuit to overturn the elimination of these and other Medi-Cal optional benefits.

Check the CAA website regularly for updates on these important Medi-Cal matters.

(7/16/2009)

Volunteer Opportunities

The CAA board has started a volunteer opportunity program designed for you, the Audiologists of California, to get involved in various State programs and issues. More...

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