Advocacy - How to advocate for PT and

your patients
Liz Hoffman, Ana Livecchi, and Katie Schweinberg
What’s the 411?

● Battle for coverage for the geriatric

population who does not
demonstrate improving condition
● Issue with chronic conditions who
utilize skilled care to mitigate or
delay onset of symptoms
● There have been “clear” statements
issued by the government stating
that care is not dependent on
potential for improvement, but
patients still report denial of care
 Current APTA Advocacy Issues (1)
Medicare Physician Fee Schedule
Advocacy
2023 Medicare decreased PT payment
reimbursement
Education and Workforce Legislation
Advocacy
APTA is supporting legislation to allow
for PTs and PTAs to be included in loan
forgiveness programs.
Medicare Payment Differential of
Services Provided by PTAs
Stabilizing Medicare Access to
Rehabilitation and Therapy Act (SMART)
eliminate the 15% cut to PTA services
Health Information Technology
Advocacy
APTA works to increase PT and PTA
involvement of creating new health
information technology.
Telehealth Advocacy
Maintain PT and PTAs role in the
expanded telehealth access act
Locum Tenens in Medicare Advocacy
APTA supports Medicare locum tenens
policies to eliminate the need of PTs to
suspend services during temporary
absences
Advocating Together

- OTs have similar issues

- OTAs 15% medicare cut
- Maintaining OT’s telehealth privileges
- Medicaid coverage throughout the lifespan
- APTA Coalitions
- “APTA is involved with many coalitions for the good of the profession, our patients and clients, and societal health care” (2)
- Coalition Examples
- Better Medicare Alliance
- Falls Free Initiative
- Movement is Life Coalition
- OA Action Alliance
- The National Association of Rehab Providers and Agencies (NARA) (3)
- 45,000 clinicians and rehab organizations spread out across the country in all settings of care
- Goal of NARA is to support rehabilitation professionals and share resources in order to progress advocacy in local regulatory
agencies all the way to Capitol Hill.
 Physical therapists are defined as, “movement experts who
improve quality of life through prescribed exercise, hands-on care,
and patient education.” [1]
Do we care? Should From the Public Policy Priorities 2021-2022 (APTA):

we care? ●
●
Essential for many in their recovery from COVID-19
Effective in reducing pain
● Physical activity prevents disease
● Treat people where they are

Without PT:

● Quality of life can decrease

● Functional mobility can decrease
● Pain management abilities can decrease
● Symptom management or delay can decrease
● Educate yourself and your patients
● Legislative Action Center (APTA members)
● Patient Action Center (Non-members and
public)
● Regulatory Action Center (Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services)
● Join APTA Advocacy Center Network
● Donate to PTPAC, Physical Therapy Political
Action Committee
● Center for Medicare Advocacy
References

1. Advocacy. APTA. https://www.apta.org/advocacy. Accessed November 4, 2022.

2. Apta coalitions. APTA. https://www.apta.org/apta-and-you/partnerships/coalitions.
Accessed November 4, 2022.
3. Nara. What is Nara and about Nara. NARA. https://www.naranet.org/about-nara/what-
is-nara. Accessed November 4, 2022.
4. Take action. Center for Medicare Advocacy. https://medicareadvocacy.org/take-
action/. Published July 22, 2021. Accessed November 10, 2022.