Two hundred physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students of physical therapy marched on Capitol Hill on May 26 to educate lawmakers about the critical need for patients to have improved access to physical therapy services. The group – members of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) – conducted approximately 350 visits with Representatives and Senators.

During their meetings with congressional representatives, the physical therapy providers emphasized three key issues: the need to remove therapy caps on Medicare part B outpatient rehabilitation services, the benefits of direct access to physical therapy services, and the importance of debt repayment for physical therapy students who choose to practice in underserved areas.

“With the recent release of the Senate Finance Committee’s policy options documents and legislation expected to be introduced in the House and Senate in the next several weeks, the timing of these visits is crucial,” says APTA President R. Scott Ward, PT, PhD. “To advocate on behalf of physical therapy patients during these decisive days will help raise awareness of the need for healthcare reform to address the arbitrary limits and burdensome requirements that keep patients from accessing cost-effective physical therapy services in a timely manner and reaching their full potential.”

The visits to the lawmakers were the culmination of APTA’s 3-day Federal Advocacy Forum that included a variety of speakers and briefings. Members of Congress and health care industry experts spoke about the challenges of reforming the healthcare system and the role of the physical therapist in reform.

Source: American Physical Therapy Association