05/11/2026
An important announcement form our STAR (State Advocate for Reimbursement):
The national and state spotlight on fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicaid is intensifying, and that means more audits and more administrative weight on the shoulders of clinicians delivering care. This is showing up across every healthcare setting, schools that bill Medicaid included.
ASHA has been contacted by two Medicaid Fraud Control Units (the arm of the US Department of Justice at the state level that prosecutes Medicaid fraud) about behavior in our profession that has been flagged as fraudulent. The flags include billing performed by assistants, students, or CFs without explicit payer permission, and unbundling of codes.
This is worth our attention not because we expect to be in the wrong, but because the integrity of our documentation and billing is part of how we protect the work. Clean practices protect our clinicians, our families, and the long-term health of our profession.
Here is an article with more context: Presidential Administration and Congress Uniquely Focused on Program Integrity in Federal Programs:
https://www.asha.org/news/2026/presidential-administration-and-congress-uniquely-focused-on-program-integrity-in-federal-programs/?srsltid=AfmBOopoIvn4L_UhlkO3c-vFmwY7PsYekLF0mxrXMQeyj7FlECpo8HPq
ASHA is hosting a webinar on May 18, 2026 at 7pm ET that walks through why this is happening, what ASHA is doing about it, and best practices for surviving an audit. It will feature an ASHA member Audiologist and an ASHA member SLP who have lived through these audits firsthand.
Please register, and share the link with colleagues who would benefit. The hour you spend here could save someone a year of stress later.
Join ASHA Advocacy for Medicaid Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Investigations Webinar May 18, 2026
https://www.asha.org/news/2026/join-asha-advocacy-for-medicaid-fraud-waste-and-abuse-investigations-webinar-may-18-2026/?srsltid=AfmBOoqPBZox5NMf77VcZb0EOYCNHKPZvYWUU5dPhZsl7lSROJgG-Wsw
As the current Administration intensifies its focus on fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA), Medicare and Medicaid providers face growing financial pressure.
