I thought many of you haven't heard about this and might want to know about
this. Another reason to support and join the APTA.
Patrick Zerr
www.apluspt.com
The easiest way to prepare for the National PT Exam!
www.summitpt.com
Summit Physical Therapy; Tempe, Arizona
Support Direct Access Legislation for Medicare Beneficiaries Call Your
Member of Congress NOW!
Congressman Phil Crane (R-IL) and Congressman Earl Pomeroy (D-ND)
Introduced HR 3363 to improve access to services of physical therapists
under Medicare. A companion bill in the Senate will also be introduced in
the near future. The Medicare Patient Access to Physical Therapist Act
(H.R. 3363) eliminates the referral requirement that Medicare Part B
beneficiaries need to access services provided by physical therapists. By
eliminating the referral requirement, a burdensome, unneeded regulation will
be done away with and delays in providing care will be removed. By
eliminating delay in receiving care, costs will be decreased, functional
outcomes will be improved and patients will not be frustrated by an
unnecessary visit to the physician.
This week, Congressman Crane and Pomeroy sent a "Dear Colleague" letter to
all House Representatives asking them to cosponsor HR 3363. Now is a
perfect time to reinforce our support of HR 3363 with your House
Representative while this letter is being circulated.
How You Can Help: Please contact your House Representative and ask them to
cosponsor HR 3363. You can contact your Representative by calling
202/224-3121.
If your House Representative or their staff indicate they will cosponsor,
have them contact A.J. Wojciak in Congressman Pomeroy's office (225-2611) or
Shalla Ross in Congressman Crane's office (225-3711). If they have any
questions regarding HR 3363, contact Justin Moore at 1/800-999-2782, ext.
3162.
Points to Make - HR 3363 will increase access to qualified PTs, reduce
regulatory burden on providers, and give beneficiaries increased choice in
health care decisions:
* Direct access eliminates the burden of unnecessary visits to physicians to
access physical therapy. The referral requirement to
access physical therapists can cause delays and denials of services provided
by physical therapists. Delays in care result in higher cost, decreased
functional outcomes, and frustration to the patients. Direct access to
physical therapists improves the accessibility to rehabilitation services.
* Direct access to physical therapists does not promote overutilization or
increase the cost of health care. A 1994 study on the cost-effectiveness
of direct access to physical therapists found that the costs incurred for
physical therapy visits were 123% higher when patients were first seen by a
physician than when they went to a physical therapist directly. The total
paid claims averaged $2, 236 for physician referral episodes as compared
with $1,004 for direct access episodes. This study also showed that
physician referral episodes generated 67% more physical
therapy claims and 60% more office visits than did episodes when the patient
went directly to the physical therapist without a physician referral.
* Licensed physical therapists are well qualified to provide services
independent of referral from physicians. Physical therapists are educated
at the post-baccalaureate level and receive extensive education and clinical
training to be able to practice without a referral. Thirty-four (34)
states currently have some form of direct access intervention by a licensed
physical therapist. The U.S. Department of Defense recognizes the ability
of licensed physical therapists to act as primary care providers for the
purpose of musculoskeletal disorders, allowing them to evaluate, diagnose,
and provide interventions to military personnel and their dependents without
an initial referral from a physician. It is time that Medicare
beneficiaries have the same access to physical therapists as citizens in 34
states.
* Liability insurers and the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy
affirm that direct access does not jeopardize the health, safety, or welfare
of the patient/clients seeking physical therapists' services without
referral. Health Providers Service Organization, the leading liability
insurer of physical therapists in the United States, states in a March 22,
2001 letter, "that direct access is not a risk factor that we specifically
screen for in our program because it has not negatively impacted our claims
experience in any way. In addition, we do not have a premium differential
for physical therapists in direct access states."
Michael P. Matlack
Michael P. Matlack
PAC & Grassroots Administrator
American Physical Therapy Association
1111 North Fairfax Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-1488
703/706-3163; fax 703/838-8919
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