Policy Priorities & Advocacy Resources
Advocacy Resources
- PPS Legislative Updates Blog
- Nuts & Bolts of Lobbying the Staff of a Member of Congress
- Nuts & Bolts of In-District Advocacy
- Committees
-
Policy Priorities
- Legislative One-pagers
- EMPOWER Act (H.R.4878/S.2459) which seeks to require Medicare to accept a state's supervision standard for PTAs in all settings instead of Medicare requiring direct supervision in outpatient therapy settings.
- Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act (S.793/H.R.1617) which would enable all physical therapists to utilize locum tenens arrangements under Medicare.
- Expanded Telehealth Access Act (H.R.3875) which seeks to make permanent Medicare's temporary coverage for physical therapists using telehealth to provide physical therapy services.
- Legislative One-pagers
PPS Advocating For You
The APTA Private Practice Board of Directors and Government Affairs Committee (GAC) through the support of the section's lobbyist firm, Lillstrom Cheng Strategies are actively engaged in monitoring, commenting, and meeting with key congressional members.
Congressional Communications
- APTA Private Practice and other rehabilitation therapy stakeholders provide the House Energy & Commerce Oversight Subcommittee recommendations on Medicare reform policies which would benefit both therapists and patients (July 2023)
- Medicare Physician Fee Schedule: A Joint Statement From AOTA, APTA, ASHA, and APTA Private Practice on Outpatient Therapy Reform (June 2023)
- APTA Private Practice is one of 106 non-physician and physician stakeholder organizations who wrote to Congress in support of the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act (H.R.2474) which seeks to create an annual inflationary update to Medicare's reimbursement rate. (May 2023)
- APTA Private Practice and 103 other physician and non-physician providers point out the need for substantive Medicare payment reform and call on Congress to hold hearings and begin long-term payment reform efforts. (January 2023)
Regulatory Communications
- Comments on CMS' 2024 Payment Policies under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Changes to Part B Payment and Coverage Policies proposed rule (September 2023)
- Comments in response to the new Medicare benefit of lymphedema compression garments, as proposed in CMS' Calendar Year 2024 Home Health proposed rule (August 2023)
- Combined Medicaid Access Comment Letter (July 3, 2023)
- "MIPS Value Pathway" Comment
- "Medicare Advantage Prior Authorizations" Comment
- "Interoperability and Prior Authorizations" Comment
- Electronic Communications between Providers and Payers
- APTA Private Practice and 8 other rehabilitation therapy stakeholders urge CMS to promptly align the expiration date of the use of telehealth codes with existing law--December 31, 2024 (February 2023)
Archives
2022
- 83 Republicans call on House leadership to avert Medicare reimbursement cuts while noting that economic challenges of providers are putting patient access at risk (December 2022)
- 113 Representatives sent a bipartisan letter to House and Senate leadership as well as President Biden calling for a total mitigation of the CY2023 Medicare payment cuts (December 2022)
- Letter sent to Congressional leadership by APTA Private Practice and 100 other provider groups requesting a 4.5% funding boost to completely offset the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule conversion factor cuts in 2023 (December 2022)
- APTA Private Practice and other rehabilitation therapy organizations thank Senator Carper (D-DE) for introducing S.5 to remove Medicare's direct supervision requirement for PTAs and OTAs in private practice settings (November 2022)
- 46 Senators declared support for Congressional action to prevent deep cuts to the physician fee schedule's conversion factor (November 2022)
- APTA Private Practice shares private practice physical therapist insight and offers suggestions to the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule (September 2022)
- PPS is one of more than 100 members of the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Coalition calling for Congress to pass legislation to provide another buffer to the Conversion Factor and other economic supports of Medicare reimbursement (July 2022)
- PPS and 6 other rehabilitation therapy organizations' joint Statement for the Record to House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations for the hearing entitled, "Protecting America's Seniors: Oversight of Private Sector Medicare Advantage Plans" (June 2022)
- Rep. Tonko (NY-20) calls on Energy & Commerce Committee colleagues to include the Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act (S.2612/H.R.1611) in CURES 2.0 legislative package (March 2022)
- PPS and rehabilitation stakeholders urge Congressional leaders to include the Stabilizing Medicare Access to Rehabilitation and Therapy (SMART) Act (H.R. 5536) in the upcoming Continuing Resolution (February 2022)
- PPS urges Congress to keep 2% Medicare sequester on hold for the rest of the Public Health Emergency (February 2022)
- PPS and 95 other organizations urge Congressional health care committees to examine potential reforms to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (February 2022)
- PPS, APTA and other rehabilitation therapy stakeholders request waiver from HHS to put off PTA/OTA differential for one year (or longer if the PHE extends into 2023) (January 2022)
2021
- APTA Private Practice and 16 other rehabilitation therapy organizations send a letter of support to Reps. Bobby Rush (IL) and Jason Smith (MO) thanking them for introducing the Stabilizing Medicare Access to Rehabilitation and Therapy (SMART) Act which seeks to mitigate the impact of the impending Medicare 15% payment differential for services furnished by physical therapist assistants (PTA) and occupational therapy assistants (OTA) beginning on Jan. 1, 2022. (October 2021)
- Record-making 247 Representatives urge House Leadership to address looming Medicare payment cuts to physical therapists and other health care providers (October 2021)
- APTA Private Practice comments on the 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, including challenging proposed 3.75% reimbursement cuts and implementation of the PTA differential while recommending general supervision for PTAs and removal of administrative burdens such as signature on a plan of care (September 2021)
- APTA Private Practice and 108 other stakeholders urge Congressional leadership to maintain stability within the MPFS by retaining 2021's 3.75% increase to the conversion factor through at least 2022 and 2023 (July 2021)
- APTA Private Practice recruits Members of Congress to advocate for CMS to change PTA supervision changes and exempt rural practices from PTA differential (May 2021)
- APTA Private Practice and 48 other stakeholder organizations urge Congress to extend the 2% Medicare sequester moratorium and waive PAY-GO requirements to protect Medicare (March 2021)
- APTA Private Practice and 74 other stakeholders thank Representatives for reducing Medicare cuts in 2020, while arguing for additional relief (February 2021)
- PPS and 74 more stakeholders thank Senators for reducing Medicare cuts in 2020, while arguing for additional relief (February 2021)
- PPS is one of 43 organizations calling on Congress to delay the return of the 2% Medicare sequester until after the Public Health Emergency (February 2021)
- APTA Private Practice Comment to Proposed Measure 4.3 (February 2021)
- Prior Authorizations Regulation Comment Letter (January 2021)
2020
- APTA Private Practice and 25 other organizations call on Congress to not reinstate the 2% Medicare sequestration cuts until the Public Health Emergency is over (November 2020)
- PPS and 6 other organizations encourage Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield - Virginia to reconsider the unilateral material change imposed on providers on or around October 1, 2020.
- APTA Private Practice and 73 other organizations write in support of H.R.8702 which would prevent the 9% cut to PT slated for January 1, 2021 (November 2020)
- APTA Private Practice requests review of reinstated NCCI edits in light of extended Public Health Emergency (October 2020)
- APTA Private Practice cites Public Health Emergency as reason for CMS to reverse course and remove NCCI edits imposed on October 1, 2020 (October 2020)
- APTA Private Practice and 46 other groups representing 1.4 million physician and non-physician providers send a letter to CMS challenging drastic cuts to reimbursement (October 2020)
- APTA Private Practice Comments on CY2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, including challenging 9% cuts, NCCI edits, and administrative burdens, while encouraging permanent coverage of physical therapists providing care via telehealth (October 2020)
- APTA Private Practice pleased that 229 Members of Congress are now on record asking Speaker Pelosi and Minority Leader McCarthy to pass legislation before the end of the year in order to mitigate the 9% cut (October 2020)
- APTA Private Practice pushes back on CCI edits requesting they be deleted entirely or at least delayed until the end of the public health emergency (September 2020)
- APTA Private Practice joins 108 other business-focused stakeholders writing to ask House and Senate Leaders to pass legislation to create a one-page form forgiveness process of PPP loans of $150,000 or less (S.4117/H.R.7777) before they adjourn for the elections at the end of the month.
- APTA Private Practice and 35 other stakeholders call on Congress to prevent CMS from implementing drastic cuts to physical therapy (August 2020)
- APTA Private Practice and 52 other organizations request Congress waive budget neutrality requirements in order to prevent cuts to specialties (8% to PT) to pay for E/M code increases on January 1, 2021 (June 2020)
- PPS, AMA, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and 16 other organizations urge Congress to pass legislation to clarify that Provider Relief Funds are non-taxable and that entities receiving the funds can maintain their tax deductions. (June 2020)
- APTA Private Practice and APTA joint letter to HHS requesting regulatory changes to make telehealth for PT permanent, prevent the 8% cut, modify plan of care signature requirement, change PTA supervision from direct to general, and allow for PTAs to perform maintenance therapy (June 2020)
- APTA Private Practice and Stakeholders request that CMS make Medicare's coverage of telehealth for outpatient rehabilitation services permanent (June 2020)
- APTA Private Practice and other organizations request Congress waive budget neutrality requirements in order to prevent cuts to specialties (8% to PT) to pay for E/M code increases on January 1, 2021 (April 2020)
- APTA Private Practice and APTA request that CMS waive the Plan of Care signature requirement and allow for general supervision of PTAs in a private practice physical therapy setting during the COVID-19 public health emergency (April 2020)
- APTA Private Practice urges CMS to utilize its full waiver authority to allow PTs to be paid for providing care via telehealth to Medicare beneficiaries during the COVID-19 public health crisis (April 2020)
- APTA Private Practice and 29 other provider groups call on Congress to halt CMS' proposed E/M code increases that would result in cuts to specialists like PTs (March 2020)
- APTA Private Practice and Coalition of speciality providers suggest modifications to CMS in lieu of 8% cut (February 2020)
- 99 Representatives ask CMS for transparency about the methodology and considerations it used to determine which specialties to cut and by how much in order to pay for an increase in E/M codes (January 2020)
- Senator Tester (Montana) sends letter to CMS on behalf of physical therapists, sharing concerns about the impact of 8% cut to reimbursement rates on rural communities (January 2020)
- PPS, APTA, and APTQI letter requesting MedPAC evaluate current inadequacies of Medicare's physical therapy reimbursement and future impact of an 8% cut (January 2020)
2019
- APTA Private Practice Comments on the CMS Modernizing and Clarifying the Physician Self-Referral Regulations proposed rule (December 2019)
- 55 Representatives sent a letter to CMS opposing the proposed 8% cut (September 2019)
- APTA Private Practice Comments on CY2020 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule, including challenges to the PTA differential and proposed 8% cuts (September 2019)
- APTA Private Practice and AIM Coalition members request House Energy & Commerce Committee action on H.R.2143, the Promoting Integrity in Medicare Act (September 2019)
- APTA Private Practice Comments on CY2020 Home Health Prospective Payment System proposed rule (September 2019)
- CMS provides usage data for PTs using locum tenens in medically underserved, rural, and health professional shortage areas (September 2019)
- APTA Private Practice response to CMS RFI re: Reducing Administrative Burden to Put Patients over Paperwork (August 2019)
- APTA Private Practice President's written testimony outlining impact of student loans on physical therapists' ability to start and thrive as a small business (June 2019)
- Response from OSHA: Letter of Interpretation clarifying that soft tissue massage is first aid for record-keeping purposes (May 2019)
- APTA Private Practice and Alliance for Innovation in Medicare support the introduction of legislation to remove PTs from the In-Office Ancillary Services Exception (April 2019)
- APTA Private Practice recommendations to Congressional Telehealth Caucus (April 2019)
- APTA Private Practice comments on Proposed Regulations to Allow Physical Therapist Assistants (PTAs) to care for TRICARE Beneficiaries (February 2019)
- PPS/APTA letter to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requesting clarification that soft tissue massage techniques administered by physical therapists are considered be first aid by OSHA (February 2019)
- FAQ about the Final Rule Regarding Status of Physical Therapists as Providers of a Specified Service Trade or Business (SSTB) (February 2019)
2018
- APTA Private Practice response to Office of Inspector General's request for information regarding the Anti-Kickback Statute and Beneficiary Inducements Civil Monetary Penalties (October 2018)
- APTA Private Practice comments on Department of Treasury's categorization of Physical Therapists for purposes of the Qualified Business Income Deduction, proposed rule (October 2018)
- APTA Private Practice Comments on the Proposed Rule for the 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program implementation (September 2018)
- Comments to MedPAC in response to the Commission's June 2018 Report to Congress, Chapter 3: Rebalancing Medicare's physician fee schedule toward ambulatory evaluation and management services (August 2018)
- APTA Private Practice response to CMS' request for information regarding moderizing the physician self-referral or "Stark law" (August 2018)
- APTA Private Practice response to CMS' request for information regarding potential Direct Provider Contracting model. (May 2018)
- APTA Private Practice comments on Department of Treasury, Department of Labor, and Department of Health and Human Services' Short-Term Limited-Duration Insurance, proposed rule (April 2018)
- APTA Private Practice comments on Department of Labor's Definition of Employer-Association Health Plans, proposed rule (March 2018)
- Requesting CMS issue guidance regarding therapy cap claims (Jan 2018)
- Roll Call ad placed by APTA Private Practice and others calling on Congress to repeal the therapy cap (January 2018)
- APTA Private Practice joins stakeholders calling for immediate passage of Medicare Part B extenders (January 2018)
2017
- APTA Private Practice joins stakeholders urging Congress to prevent reinstatement of the therapy cap (December 2017)
- APTA Private Practice comments on proposed rule regarding the Quality Payment Program (August 2017)
- APTA Private Practice comments on proposed rule regarding Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2019 (November 2017)
2016
- APTA Private Practice comments on the proposed expansion of the CJR model to hip and femur fracture (October 2016)
- PPS comments on the proposed expansion of the CJR model to hip and femur fracture (October 2016)
- APTA Private Practice comments on 2017 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule (September 2016)
- APTA Private Practice comments on 2017 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule (September 2016)
- APTA Private Practice comments on the proposed implementation of MIPS and MACRA (June 2016)
- APTA Private Practice comments on the proposed implementation of MIPS and MACRA (June 2016)
- Locum Tenens Survey of APTA Private Practice membership (April 2016)
- Locum Tenens Survey of APTA Private Practice membership (April 2016)
- Locum Tenens Survey Results (April 2016)
2015
- APTA Private Practice comments on ACA: HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2017 (December 2015)
- APTA Private Practice comments on request for information regarding development of the Merit-Based Incentive payment System (MIPS) (November 2015)
- APTA Private Practice comments on 2016 MPFS (September 2015)
- APTA Private Practice comments on the bundled payment demo for THA and TKA (September 2015)
- Hearing: Examining Potential Ways to Improve the Medicare Program (October. 2015)
- CMS' response to Sen. Grassley's inquiry regarding rationale for CBO score of locum tenens (July 2015)
- Committee Members Questions CMS About ICD-10 Readiness (June 2015)
- CMS Responds to Ways & Means Committee Inquiry Re: IC-10 Readiness (June 2015)
- Sen. Grassley asks CMS if there is data to support CBO's score of locum tenens (June 2015)
- H.R.2799/S. 1465 - Furthering Access to Stroke Telemedicine (FAST) Act (October 2015)
- H.R.2712 - Commonsense Reporting and Verification Act (October 2015)
- S.1996 - Commonsense reporting Act (October 2015)
2013
- APTA Private Practice Letter Commending the Introduction of HR 3419, Small Business Fairness
- APTA Private Practice Commends Senate Finance Committee on the passage of S1871
- APTA Private Practice Comments on the Discussion Draft Concept Paper on Alternatives to the SGR
- Advancing Interoperability and Health Information Exchange
- Proposed Rule (CMS-1600-P) Regarding Payment Policies under Medicare PFS
- HR 3426 Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act
- Advanced Discussion Draft Bill to Repeal and Reform SGR
- APTA Private Practice Response to Draft Legislation on Repealing the Medicare Payment Formula
- APTA Private Practice Response to Senate Finance Committee on Value-Based care Medicare System
- Medicare Physician Sustainable Growth Rate
- Input on Second Iteration of the Proposal to Repeal and Reform SGR
- Information/Suggestions on Value-Based Measures and Improved Health Outcomes/Efficiency in the Medicare Program