The American Academy of Audiology has been awarded a seat on the American Medical Association (AMA) Current Procedural Terminology/Health Care Professionals Advisory Committee (CPT/HCPAC). The CPT/HCPAC is a panel of specialty societies charged with facilitating the review and development of applications for CPT codes used by qualified non-physician health care professionals.
Previously, both audiology and speech pathology were represented on the CPT/HCPAC by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), but it has been the Academy’s position that audiology and speech pathology are two separate professions that deserve distinct representation. The Panel accepted this request.
The profession now has greater representation and a larger stake in decisions made that ultimately impact reimbursement to audiologists for covered Medicare services.