When we ask why change inside SLP feels so difficult, we often look to policy debates or leadership decisions. This episode looks instead at the financial architecture underneath it all and why long-term obligations shape what an institution can realistically risk.

To understand ASHA’s caution, we examine the scale of the organization and the financial commitments that anchor it in place.

We explore:

• The 5-to-1 gap: What ASHA’s financial scale looks like compared to the American Occupational Therapy Association.
• Long-term commitments: How maintaining a defined benefit pension plan created enduring revenue requirements.
• Exit costs: Why unwinding decades-old obligations isn’t as simple as restructuring fees or programs.

Sources:

• 2024 ASHA Audited Financial Report
• ProPublica Data for ASHA
• ProPublica Data for AOTA
• Green, J. (2024, January 12). How 1978 shifted power in America and laid the groundwork for our current political moment. TPM. 

Connect:

• Contact Megan: therapyinsights.com/insideslp
• PACT Survey: pactsurvey.com