In this listener mailbag episode, SLP grad students, clinicians, and private practice owners call the Minivan Meltdown line to share what’s really happening behind the scenes in our field.

First, a grad student with a repaired bilateral cleft lip and palate describes a supervisor who told her she “can’t be a good SLP” because of her speech difference. Dr. Jeanette Benigas and Preston Lewis, SLP, break down discrimination in training, how CCC standards exclude disabled and Deaf clinicians, and why difference is not disorder.

Next, a medical SLP who accidentally dropped her CCC in 2008 shares what happened when she kept her state license and kept working. We talk shame culture, confusion around the CCC, mutual recognition agreements, and why so many CCC “rules” fall apart under scrutiny.

Finally, a private practice owner in Kentucky explains how pediatric F-codes (like F80) were treated as “mental health” diagnoses, triggering visit caps, mass denials, and 12–18 month reimbursement delays. We unpack F-code chaos, the Mental Health Parity Act, and why small practices shouldn’t be the ones stuck fighting insurers.

If you’ve ever been gaslit by a supervisor, confused by the CCC, or crushed by insurance games, this episode is your reminder: you’re not the problem. The system is.

Stop paying to track ASHA-approved CEUs. Save your money and set up for a FREE CEU/PDH tracker with Speech Therapy PD. While you are there, get $10 off a professional subscription with the code FixSLP10!

🚧 Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.
🚧 We want to collaborate with YOU. If you would like to lead or join your state team, please email your name and state to [email protected].
🚧 Become a sustaining partner to support our work.
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🚧 Find all our information at fixslp.com, and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.
🚧 Email us at [email protected].
🚧 Leave a message on our Minivan Meltdown line!

SLP burnout isn’t a personal failure; it’s a systems problem. In this episode, Dr. Jeanette Benigas and Preston Lewis, MS/SLP, talk with researchers Dr. Tobias Kroll (Texas Tech) and Phuong Palafox, SLP, about their study, “The Invisible Workload of School-Based SLPs.” We cover why SLPs are advocating (and being ignored), how caseload vs. workload, siloed roles, and “martyr culture” fuel overwhelm, and where leadership and IDEA compliance pressure go off the rails. You’ll hear practical wins that work now, and bigger-picture fixes universities and national orgs must lead. If you’ve ever been told to “practice self-care” while your schedule balloons, this conversation gives language, evidence, and steps to push back... together.

💛 Connect with Phuong Palafox on her website or Instagram.
🧡 Connect with Dr. Tobias Kroll on his website, ResearchGate, or LinkedIn.

Stop paying to track ASHA-approved CEUs. Save your money and set up for a FREE CEU/PDH tracker with Speech Therapy PD. While you are there, get $10 off a professional subscription with the code FixSLP10!

🚧 Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.
🚧 We want to collaborate with YOU. If you would like to lead or join your state team, please email your name and state to [email protected].
🚧 Become a sustaining partner to support our work.
🚧 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
🚧 Find all our information at fixslp.com, and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.
🚧 Email us at [email protected].
🚧 Leave a message on our Minivan Meltdown line!

Dr. Jeanette Benigas, SLP, sits down with Oregon SLP Kara Hayden, MS/SLP, to unpack how clinicians organized, lobbied, and helped pass a state law requiring hourly pay, ending pay-per-visit in home health and hospice. They cover timelines, productivity pressure, joining an existing nurses’ union, building a small core team, securing a sponsor, writing testimony, and answering the big question: “Won’t agencies just pay less?” If you’re ready to push for change in your state, pay models, Medicaid rules, or workplace policies, this episode gives you the blueprint and the courage to start.

Brought to you by Verse Therapy, the business-in-a-box solution for SLPs who want to start, run, and grow private practice with confidence. Verse Therapy makes private practice a realistic option by providing an AI-integrated EHR, marketing support, cohort trainings, and a team that helps you build your brand and run your practice like a pro. Learn more at versetherapy.com.

Stop paying to track ASHA-approved CEUs. Save your money and set up for a FREE CEU/PDH tracker with Speech Therapy PD. While you are there, get $10 off a professional subscription with the code FixSLP10!

🚧 Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.
🚧 We want to collaborate with YOU. If you would like to lead or join your state team, please email your name and state to [email protected].
🚧 Become a sustaining partner to support our work.
🚧 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
🚧 Find all our information at fixslp.com, and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.
🚧 Email us at [email protected].
🚧 Leave a message on our Minivan Meltdown line!

After letting her CCC lapse without regret, Christal Washington, MS/SLP, later chose to reinstate, on her own terms, to help the private practice she works at grow. She shares the exact process, Praxis prep, and timeline, plus what she learned about working without the CCC. This honest story strips away the fear and shows what reinstatement really looks like when the choice is yours.

Brought to you by Informed Jobs, founded by Dr. Meredith Harold — because the right job shouldn’t require the wrong credentials. If you missed her viral episode “You’re Not Making $60/hour: The Lies Buried in SLP Job Posts,” go listen now.

Stop paying to track ASHA-approved CEUs. Save your money and set up for a FREE CEU/PDH tracker with Speech Therapy PD. While you are there, get $10 off a professional subscription with the code FixSLP10!

🚧 Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.
🚧 We want to collaborate with YOU. If you would like to lead or join your state team, please email your name and state to [email protected].
🚧 Become a sustaining partner to support our work.
🚧 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
🚧 Find all our information at fixslp.com, and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.
🚧 Email us at [email protected].
🚧 Leave a message on our Minivan Meltdown line!

Telehealth coverage for SLPs under Medicare expired on October 1, 2025. In this episode, Dr. Jeanette Benigas, SLP, and Katie Brown, SLP, explain what this means for the provision of Telehealth services for traditional Medicare Part B beneficiaries, the nuances for Part A beneficiaries, and the allowance of private pay. They also unpack the government shutdown’s impact on claims processing, what remains unchanged for Medicaid and Medicare Advantage plans, and why employers shouldn’t issue blanket telehealth bans without checking payer rules. Get clear, practical guidance plus the free Telehealth Toolkit to support your patients and advocate for continued access.

Find all of the advocacy tools you need here to participate in the telehealth call to action, or check out Katie's SLPs Blueprint to Medicare Success and get $100 off with the code FixSLP.

If you missed it, catch Katie and Jeanette’s earlier conversation on Medicare telehealth in Episode 96. It sets the stage for what’s happening now.

Stop paying to track ASHA-approved CEUs. Save your money and set up for a FREE CEU/PDH tracker with Speech Therapy PD. While you are there, get $10 off a professional subscription with the code FixSLP10!

🚧 Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.
🚧 We want to collaborate with YOU. If you would like to lead or join your state team, please email your name and state to [email protected].
🚧 Become a sustaining partner to support our work.
🚧 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
🚧 Find all our information at fixslp.com, and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.
🚧 Email us at [email protected].
🚧 Leave a message on our Minivan Meltdown line!

Michigan SLPs just scored a unanimous 15–0 win in the Michigan House Health Policy Committee. House Bill 4484 is officially moving forward, clarifying that the state license, not a private certificate, is the credential for reimbursement. In this bonus episode, we detail what’s next in the Michigan legislative process, why this matters for Medicaid states, and how SLPs can replicate the win across the country. Plus: the SLP Compact update and celebrating two years of Fix SLP!

Thank you to our sponsor, ⭐️ Befitting You Medical Supply, ⭐️ offering AAC devices with hands-on assessments, education, and support for patients and families. Check them out!

🚧 Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.
🚧 We want to collaborate with YOU. If you would like to lead or join your state team, please email your name and state to [email protected].
🚧 Become a sustaining partner to support our work.
🚧 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
🚧 Find all our information at fixslp.com, and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.
🚧 Email us at [email protected].
🚧 Leave a message on our Minivan Meltdown line!

SLP fear is real, but facts are louder. In this Fix SLP Podcast episode, Dr. Jeanette Benigas, SLP, and Preston Lewis, MS/SLP, unpack the top fears heard daily: Praxis retakes, reinstating the ASHA CCC, supervision requirements, getting overlooked by misinformed employers, whether CCC status affects international portability via the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) with the UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, and how employer education, not court battles, drives SLP autonomy and better jobs.

This episode shows how to turn fear into facts: evaluating your local job market, approaching HR about removing CCC requirements, clarifying supervision rules, and proving that patient outcomes, not extra letters, define true competence in the field.

Thank you to our sponsor, ⭐️ Informed Jobs, ⭐️ connecting SLPs with meaningful job opportunities and career resources to keep you informed and empowered. Explore more at informedslp.com. Just click the menu, then select "Jobs"!

🦺 Employer Education resources
🦺 Episode #89: ASHA CCC Reinstatement - Facts, Fear, and What You Actually Need
🦺 Episode #82: How ASHA Built a Monopoly in Speech-Language Pathology, and Why We Filed a Federal Complaint

🚧 Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.
🚧 We want to collaborate with YOU. If you would like to lead or join your state team, please email your name and state to [email protected].
🚧 Become a sustaining partner to support our work.
🚧 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
🚧 Find all our information at fixslp.com, and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.
🚧 Email us at [email protected].
🚧 Leave a message on our Minivan Meltdown line!

Renewal season is here, and the confusion is real: what’s the difference between ASHA membership and the CCC, and what do SLPs actually need to practice? In this episode, we discuss the legal authority of your state license, why the CCC is sold as a product, what “membership perks” really mean, and when keeping or dropping the CCC matters for supervision, Medicaid billing, or employer policies. Clear, actionable, and timely. This is your guide to making the right renewal decision.

Thank you to our sponsor, ⭐️ SLP Elevate by Speech Time Fun ⭐️, offering engaging materials for grades 4–12, whether you work virtually or in person. Learn more at slpelevate.com!

If you missed it a year ago, listen to Zane Rankin's story as the FIRST SLP in Arkansas credentialed for billing without the CCC after ASHA unceremoniously stripped it away following his unplanned medical retirement.

🚧 Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.
🚧 We want to collaborate with YOU. If you would like to lead or join your state team, please email your name and state to [email protected].
🚧 Become a sustaining partner to support our work.
🚧 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
🚧 Find all our information at fixslp.com, and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.
🚧 Email us at [email protected].
🚧 Leave a message on our Minivan Meltdown line!

Telehealth for speech therapy is under threat, and if Medicare pulls access, the consequences could ripple far beyond one program. Adults, families, and care partners lose critical care options, but that’s just the start. A Medicare rollback could trigger private insurance and Medicaid to follow suit, resulting in reduced access across the board. In this episode, we explore why telehealth is crucial for patients who can’t drive, for care partners balancing demanding schedules, and for clinicians serving rural and underserved communities. You’ll also get advocacy tools, ready-to-use letter templates, and simple ways to mobilize your practice and patients to keep telehealth accessible.

Find all of the advocacy tools you need here to participate in the telehealth call to action, or check out Katie's SLPs Blueprint to Medicare Success and get $100 off with the code FixSLP.

Stop paying to track ASHA-approved CEUs. Save your money and set up for a FREE CEU/PDH tracker with Speech Therapy PD. While you are there, get $10 off a professional subscription with the code FixSLP10!

Thank you to our sponsor, ⭐️ Befitting You Medical Supply ⭐️,  offering AAC devices with hands-on assessments, education, and support for patients and families. Check them out!

New here? Subscribe, share with a colleague, and call the Minivan Meltdown line at fixslp.com to add your voice.

🚧 Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.
🚧 We want to collaborate with YOU. If you would like to lead or join your state team, please email your name and state to [email protected].
🚧 Become a sustaining partner to support our work.
🚧 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
🚧 Find all our information at fixslp.com, and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.
🚧 Email us at [email protected].
🚧 Leave a message on our Minivan Meltdown line!

SLP malpractice insurance without ASHA Membership (or the CCC), fact or fiction? In this Fix SLP Summer School episode, Dr. Jeanette Benigas, SLP, and Preston Lewis, MS/SLP, discuss affordable liability coverage options for licensed SLPs who choose not to maintain ASHA membership or the CCC. They explain the ProLiability/AMBA partnership, why it’s not your only option, what policies and riders are important (malpractice, general liability, E&O, license defense), and how to shop smart for rates that fit your risk and setting.

Plus: our first sponsor, ⭐️ Remedy ⭐️, an EMR built by SLPs, offering early access with 50% off your first two months. Check them out! PLUS, a quick Michigan update: Health Policy Committee vote scheduled for HB 4484.

New here? Subscribe, share with a colleague, and call the Minivan Meltdown line at fixslp.com to add your voice.

🚧 Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.
🚧 We want to collaborate with YOU. If you would like to lead or join your state team, please email your name and state to [email protected].
🚧 Become a sustaining partner to support our work.
🚧 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
🚧 Find all our information at fixslp.com, and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.
🚧 Email us at [email protected].
🚧 Leave a message on our Minivan Meltdown line!