Joshua Bailey, PT, DPT, is the President and CEO of Rehabilitation Associates of Central Virginia, a 20-site orthopedic physical therapy practice. He is the past President of the Virginia Physical Therapy Association. Josh currently serves the APTA Private Practice Section on the Payment and Policy Committee, where he chairs the Value-Based Care workgroup with a specific focus on Direct-to-Employer arrangements. Additionally, Josh supports PT's as the co-founder of the PT Management Group of Virginia.

Candidate Statement:

I am honored to be slated for the Board of Directors of APTA Private Practice. Throughout my career as a clinician, educator, practice leader, and advocate, I have remained dedicated to advancing the field of physical therapy. As President and CEO of Rehabilitation Associates of Central Virginia, I have helped lead a private practice that has grown to 20 locations while staying focused on clinical excellence, patient access, and long-term sustainability. My service as President of the Virginia Physical Therapy Association, as a member of the APTA Private Practice Payment and Policy Committee, and as Chair of the Value-Based Services work group has given me a clear view of what private practices need from their professional association: strong leadership, practical strategy, and unapologetic advocacy.

Private practice physical therapy cannot continue to absorb payment cuts, rising operating costs, and growing administrative burden while being asked to do more for patients, employers, and communities. Payment reform is not a side issue for our profession - it is a defining issue. When reimbursement does not reflect the cost and value of care, private practices are forced to delay growth, limit innovation, and make difficult decisions about staffing and access. These issues hurt not only practice owners, but also clinicians, patients, and the healthcare system that depends on us to deliver effective, lower-cost musculoskeletal care. APTA has been clear that the current Medicare Physician Fee Schedule is unsustainable and that meaningful reform is needed to stabilize practices and protect patient access. Reform will demand effort, determination, and a clear vision of the value proposition for private-practice PT.

If elected, I will be a direct and persistent voice for payment reform. I believe APTA Private Practice should press aggressively for three realistic policy changes. First, Medicare payments must receive an annual inflation-based update tied to the Medicare Economic Index, ensuring practices are not forced to operate under payment rates that fall further behind the actual cost of care each year. Second, Congress and CMS should eliminate outdated cuts that disproportionately harm therapy providers, especially the Multiple Procedure Payment Reduction, while also modernizing the budget neutrality framework that repeatedly triggers across-the-board instability. Third, CMS should update practice expense data on a regular cycle and create more workable pathways for physical therapists to succeed in value-based and alternative payment models, including models that reward outcomes, efficiency, and prevention rather than volume alone. These are practical reforms that would improve stability, support investment in people and technology, and better align payment with the value physical therapists deliver.

Additionally, I feel that we need two distinct paradigm shifts. First, we must find cohesive ways to work with similar groups that are also advocating for the profession. We must work in unison. Fragmentation has been used against private practice throughout my career. It is time those tables are turned for our benefit. Second, we must shift our reliance on payment from insurance companies and migrate more towards those that ultimately pay for the majority of healthcare: employers and their constituents.

I would be honored to serve with urgency, clarity, and conviction. Private practice physical therapy deserves payment systems that support innovation, independence, and patient access. I am ready to help lead that fight.