Welcome to The Wave!

Welcome to The Wave, CASLPO’s monthly update for registrants! The Wave replaces our semi-annual ex.press newsletter and brings together all of our other key updates into one easy-to-read format.

In This Issue:

• Reminder: Keep Your Workplace Information Up to Date in the Registrant Portal
• Protecting Your Credentials When Billing
• A Privacy Management Handbook for Small Health Care Organizations
• Controlled Acts: Understanding the Difference Between Authorization and Delegation
• Annual Registration Renewal Opens July 30

 

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Protecting Your Credentials When Billing

CASLPO occasionally learns from registrants that their name, signature, or College registration number has been used by someone else for misleading or fraudulent billing. Sometimes, insurance companies or other third-party payers contact registrants to verify a claim for services. 

In other situations, employers or facilities may use a registrant’s credentials without their knowledge. For example, a registrant might share an electronic signature with their employer for future invoicing of services rendered—but that signature could later be used to submit claims for services the registrant didn’t provide. In some cases, a manager or administrator might enrol a registrant with a third-party payer without their knowledge or consent.  

To help protect your professional credentials, consider these tips: 

• Ask your employer how billing is done. 
• Periodically review billing records that others complete on your behalf. 
• Never sign blank treatment plans/forms or create pre-signed documents. 
• When you leave a workplace, update your information on CASLPO’s Public Register within 30 days of the change (as required by By-Law no. 5). Also let the clinic owner, your employer or manager know that they can no longer use your name and registration number for billing. 

Keep Accurate Financial Records

Regardless of where you work, you must keep accurate and comprehensive records of all patient interactions. CASLPO’s Records Regulation (2015), requires you to ensure that your patient financial statements are complete. Your financial records must include information about the service or product provided, the date of service or product, and a record of the receipt issued (if applicable), and more. Invoices may be considered to be a financial record. Financial records must be retained for the same length of time as patient records. 

The College’s Code of Ethics, requires that patient financial records must be transparent, honest and truthful. Under Principle 3 – Accountability, you must clearly explain service options, any limits on services, and all fees for services and products before starting intervention.  

It is part of your professional responsibility to understand your organization’s billing practices. You can then increase the likelihood that appropriate and proper billing is taking place. You also need to make sure that your registration number is not being used improperly. If you didn’t see the patient, be honest when responding to the third-party payer and keep detailed records to support your response.

What to Do If You Suspect Fraud

If you know someone has used your information fraudulently: 

• Talk to your employer if the issue happened at work. It’s important to take steps to stop the situation from continuing. 
• Report it to the Équité Association, a national, independent group that aims to reduce insurance fraud. Visit www.equiteassociation.com or call their hotline at 1-877-422-TIPS (8477). 
• If a registered audiologist or speech-language pathologist is using your credentials fraudulently, you can file a formal complaint with CASLPO. 
• If the person is another regulated professional, you can file a formal complaint with their regulatory College: https://ontariohealthregulators.ca/find-health-care-professional-3/ 

For additional guidance, contact our Practice Advice team. 

 

Controlled Acts: Understanding the Difference Between Authorization and Delegation

“Controlled acts” are specific medical procedures or activities that pose a risk of harm or danger to a patient if not performed correctly. The Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA) defines 14 controlled acts that are authorized to regulated health care professionals in Ontario.  

Authorized vs. Delegated

Authorization means a regulated health professional is permitted to independently perform specific controlled acts based on their training, knowledge, skills, judgement, and scope of practice.  

• Audiologists (AUDs) are authorized to prescribe a hearing aid for a hearing-impaired person. This is the only controlled act audiologists may perform under the RHPA and Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Act, 1991 (ASLPA). This is a controlled act, which cannot be delegated to another individual. 
• Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are not authorized to perform any controlled acts.

Only registrants of a regulatory college who have been specifically authorized to do so can perform a controlled act. Otherwise, it's considered unauthorized (and illegal) practice.

In contrast, delegation allows a regulated health professional who is authorized to perform a specific controlled act to temporarily grant authority to another person—provided they have the appropriate knowledge, skills, training and supervision. Delegation requires written or verbal instructions for individual patients or medical directives for a group of patients. 

For example: 

• AUDs can be delegated the controlled act of “putting an instrument, hand, or finger beyond the external ear canal” for assessment (e.g. electrocochleography) or surgical procedures. 
• SLPs can be delegated the controlled act of “putting an instrument, hand, or finger beyond the point in the nasal passages where they normally narrow” during Fibreoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES).  

How this applies to Quality Assurance and Mentorship 

“Controlled acts” are reflected in CASLPO’s Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) and Mentorship Self-Assessment Tool (MSAT):

• Self-Assessment Tool (SAT): Registrants are asked in the Practice Description of the SAT if they have been delegated a controlled act and to identify which ones.
• Practice Standards and Indicators in the Mentorship Self-Assessment Tool (MSAT) and Clinical SAT:
  • Standard 1.3: Audiologists confirm whether they prescribe hearing aids and document this according to CASLPO standards.
  • Standard 1.4: All registrants confirm whether they’ve been delegated a controlled act and whether they perform and document it properly.
• Non-clinical SAT Professional Practice Standard 1.3: Registrants confirm whether they’ve developed or implemented documentation and processes for controlled acts—either for prescribing hearing aids (audiologists) or for supporting delegated acts under medical directives.

Key Takeaways:  

• Audiologists are authorized to prescribe hearing aids. 
• All other controlled acts must be delegated to an AUD or SLP. 
• Some controlled acts cannot be delegated (e.g., psychotherapy).

When completing the SAT or MSAT, remember to accurately reflect whether you perform or have been delegated any controlled acts.

For more guidance, visit CASLPO's Practice Resources

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Annual Registration Renewal Opens July 30

Starting July 30, 2025, CASLPO’s Annual Registration Renewal for the 2025/2026 year will be open. All audiologists and speech-language pathologists must complete their renewal by October 1, 2025, at 11:59 PM EDT to avoid late fees and maintain their registration in good standing.

You’ll receive an email with your official renewal notice and instructions once the renewal period begins. Please check your inbox—and your spam or junk folders—starting July 30.

Who You Are Matters

During the renewal process, CASLPO will once again collect voluntary demographic data from all registrants. This initiative began in 2022 to help us better understand who our registrants are, identify potential barriers in the professions, and support inclusive and culturally competent care for Ontarians. In doing so, CASLPO is part of a number of other organizations that are collecting demographic data, both within and outside the health sector. 

By taking part in this data collection, you help CASLPO:

• track progress towards a registrant base that reflects Ontario’s diversity;
• take action if inequities are identified; and
• develop inclusive tools and policies. 

Your privacy is our priority. Your answers are not stored on your registrant profile, and responses are only kept in aggregate, anonymized form. Because data is not carried over from previous years, your participation every year makes a real difference. 

This effort supports CASLPO’s commitment to fostering a regulatory environment that is inclusive and better equipped to serve all Ontarians. To learn more about the impact of this initiative and what we’ve learned so far, read our recent article:

Helping to Shape a More Inclusive Profession: Registrant Demographic Data Collection