Alpha Lillstrom Cheng

Advocate for nationwide access for PTs to hire a locum tenens

 

Background:

When you need to be away from your practice, does your clinic have enough credentialed PTs to be able to rearrange schedules so that all of your Medicare patients are able to be seen, without delay?  If not, then your practice and your patients would benefit if you were able to hire a locum tenens—a qualified substitute PT—to fill in for the short time you are not able to be in the clinic.

Our previous advocacy efforts resulted in a law which allows private practice physical therapists practicing in designated Health Professional Shortage Areas, medically underserved, and rural areas to retain a locum tenens when they need to be absent from their clinic. 

S.2612/H.R.1611 seeks to expand this policy to all areas of the U.S. because, as you know, the need to hire a locum tenens in order to prevent an interruption in care is based on how many credentialed providers a clinic has and its Medicare patient mix—not where that practice is located.

Thank you Rep. Tonko (NY-20) for calling on your Energy & Commerce Committee colleagues to include the Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act (S.2612/H.R.1611) in the CURES 2.0 legislative package!

Advocacy Opportunity

Ask your lawmakers to cosponsor the Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act (S.2612/H.R.1611) which would enable all physical therapists to utilize locum tenens arrangements under Medicare.  We need your help making sure your legislator understands the necessity of continuity of therapy services as well as the impact this bill would have on being able to keep your doors open, see patients, and remain a viable business and employer in your community.

If you are on social media, tweet or create a Facebook post tagging your legislator and #PPSAdvocacy.  TEMPLATE TWEET: “Prevent Interruptions to PT care. Cosponsor bipartisan S.2612/HR1611. [@Representative/Senator twitter handle] #PPSAdvocacy”

Check out these tips for advocacy.For information on PPS’s legislative priorities and activities, visit the Advocacy section at www.ppsapta.org

Thank you.  Your voice makes an impact.  Together we can make a difference.

TEMPLATE EMAIL:

Subject line: Continuity of care is key to physical therapy.  Cosponsor S.2612/H.R.1611 to ensure interrupted access to care.

 

Dear Representative/Senator ____________,           

I am a physical therapist in private practice, and a member of the Private Practice Section (PPS) of the American Physical Therapy Association.  Thank you for your previous efforts in support of access to physical therapy services.  On behalf of myself and PPS, I’m asking you to cosponsor the Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act(S.2612/H.R.1611). 

The Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Actwould support small businesses like mine and protect Medicare beneficiary access to physical therapy by allowing all physical therapists, regardless of their geographic location, to be able to hire a qualified substitute on a short-term basis to ensure their patients have continued, uninterrupted access to care. Physical therapists are the only providers whose use of locum tenens is limited geographically and that the crux of the issue is the number of providers credentialed in a clinic and that clinic’s Medicare patient mix, not the physical location of the practice.

[Include an example of how your practice and patient care has been impacted when you or one of your colleagues has been unable to hire a qualified substitute (locum tenens) to provide care when you are unavoidably absent because of illness, pregnancy, continuing education, jury duty, and more.  If you are located in a one of the geographic regions where PTs are allowed to use locum tenens, please share an example of when you used this privilege to ensure your Medicare patients had uninterrupted access to physical therapy.]

As your constituent and a small business owner in your district, I ask you to please cospoonsor this non-controversial, bipartisan bill.

Thank you,       

[Name, credentials]

Member, Private Practice Section of the American Physical Therapy Association

[Practice Name]

[Practice Address]

[Practice phone number]