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Tell Your Members of Congress How They Can Support Access to Physical Therapy

(If you don’t know who your Representative is, check here.)

Ask your Representative to modernize how outpatient physical therapy is accessed and paid for

PPS’ legislative and advocacy priorities include advocating for fair and equitable payment, Medicare coverage for care provided via telehealth, and reducing administrative burdens.  While often we have to pursue these goals separately, we now have the bipartisan Outpatient Therapy Modernization and Stabilization Act (H.R. 7154) which addresses all three! 

 

Advocacy Opportunity:

Ask your Representative to cosponsor the Outpatient Therapy Modernization and Stabilization Act (H.R. 7154).  They need to hear from you about bipartisan solutions which would support you both as a physical therapist and a small business owner.  Use this template:

SUBJECT LINE: Please cosponsor Outpatient Therapy Modernization and Stabilization Act (H.R. 7154)

My name is _________________ and I am a physical therapist in private practice and a member of the Private Practice Section of the American Physical Therapy Association.  My clinic is [near ________________landmark/in ___________ community, Town, State].  There are ___ therapists in my practice.  We also employ ___ support staff.  We have been an important part of our local economy and small business community for ___ years.  We have been proud to serve our community throughout the COVID-19 crisis by continuing to provide our patients with access to safe, quality care.

Thank you for the flexibility you gave to CMS in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and. Economic Security (CARES) Act.  After significant pressure, CMS used that authority to waive restrictions and allow physical therapists to provide and be reimbursed for care provided via telehealth for the duration of this public health emergency.  Many private payers are also covering telehealth visits.  However, using telehealth to receive timely and appropriate medical care should not be limited to this type of public health emergency.  On behalf of myself, my patients and other members of the Private Practice Section, I am asking for your support to make this important policy permanent. 

The Outpatient Therapy Modernization and Stabilization Act (H.R. 7154) would allow PT, OT, and SLP professionals, and facilities that provide outpatient therapy to bill Medicare for outpatient therapy services furnished via telehealth. 

This bill would also address two other legislative priorities of the Private Practice Section by:

  • Modifying the plan of care certification requirement in order to reduce administrative burden and delays in care; and
  • Preventing CMS’ proposed steep cuts to Medicare in 2021 by providing a one-time exemption from the currently mandated Medicare Physician Fee Schedule budget neutrality rules triggered by the reweighting of the office/outpatient Evaluation & Management (E/M) Codes. 

Each of these three policy changes will enable me to better serve my patients and keep my clinic open.  Will you please cosponsor H.R.7154?

Thank you for your time and attention to this valuable policy,

[Name, credentials]

Member, Private Practice Section of the American Physical Therapy Association

[Practice Name]

[Practice Address]

[Practice phone number]

 

If you are on social media, follow up your request with a tweet or facebook post tagging your legislator as well as PPS using #PPSAdvocacy. 

New to engaging with your lawmaker or need a refresher?  Check out thesetips for advocacy 

Thank you for your continued advocacy.  Together we can make a difference!

 

For information on PPS’s legislative priorities and activities,

visit the Advocacy section at www.ppsapta.org