RISHA advocates for equitable and reduced co-pays with related therapeutic professions.
Current legislation (S0051 and H5082) introduced by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) of RI to reduce PT co-pays does not include occupational and speech-language therapy. RISHA has submitted positions on both bills:
How can I support RISHA advocacy?
- Communicate directly with your state representatives and senators. You can look up your local representatives here: vote.sos.ri.gov. They are listed under “state senator” and “state representative.” Feel free to use the letters above as templates for your own submissions. Include your name, address, phone, and email, which will ensure that your message is received as a constituent.
- “Perfect is the enemy of good.” Taking 5-10 minutes to send a short email to your legislator(s) is so much more effective than nothing at all!
- Consider including a statement that you have been a Speech-Language Pathologist for __ years working in Rhode Island in [your practice area].
- Inserting a personal experience, story about a client, etc. is far more effective than cutting-and-pasting language that the legislator has already seen before.
- The Rhode Island General Assembly page on “Getting Started” with advocacy includes a wealth of great information and resources on how to maximize your advocacy efforts.