Page 12 - OPTA Volume 48

COMMITTEE & SIG REPORTS
Federal Affairs Liaison Report Preston Stoller, PT, DPT, OCS - Chair
The halfway point of 2020 has come and has brought with it remarkable change and challenge to the world . The physical therapy profession has also been impacted, unfortunately, and we have seen our fair share of upheaval due to COVID-19 .
The pandemic has spurred countless new policies, and through your hard work and support during this time, the APTA has successfully collaborated with Washington to:
Establish and expand telehealth coverage to PTs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the majority of commercial payers;
Allow PTAs to treat and bill under TriCare;
Rollback language from CMS prohibiting the use of certain billing codes on the same day as initial evaluations;
Provide support during the national declaration of emergency, including increasing short-term payment and reimbursement amounts from CMS, providing facilities and private practices with small business loans, and supplying direct payments to help support physical therapy facilities treating COVID-19 patients;
And many other successes.
The amount of change to the PT profession over the past six months has been extraordinary . However, our work is not done yet . As you may be aware, CMS is planning an 8% cut to payments to a number of health professions, including physical, occupational, and speech therapies as of January 2021 . We will need to have all our
Membership Committee Report Sabrina Kaminski, PT - Chair
voices heard in order for Congress to intervene to postpone and/or abolish this proposal . Cuts of this level threaten access to PT services and will lead to a diminished level of care . If you are reading this, you understand how important our services are to the public . Congress, however, will not be aware of this importance unless we all do our part to educate our representatives on this issue .
As of this writing, Congress’ August recess is upcoming, which is the perfect time to connect with your local representatives as they return to their home districts . Legislators want to hear from and develop relationships with their constituents to better understand how to best serve your interests in Washington . While this year is different and in-person meetings may not be feasible, video meetings, phone calls, and emails are all excellent ways to reach out while maintaining social distance . If you are interested in becoming involved in this way, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at preston.stoller@osumc.edu .
Unprecedented change allows for unprecedented opportunity . Please join us so your voice can be heard . Together, we can create an even brighter future for the profession .
For more information, contact Preston at:
preston.stoller@osumc.edu
While you still may be having a difficult time finding thermometers and white vinegar, you will not have a hard time finding OPTA members that persevere and adapt. Some of us continued with our traditional roles while others found themselves being stand-in teachers or analyzing community member’s gait pattern while on furlough . Perhaps you took the opportunity to look at clinical practice guidelines and some of the latest research in your area of interest . During the last four months, members have continued to advocate for patient care making headway on telehealth, the Fair Co-Pay bill, and the PT Compact bill . They have presented in multiple webinars via the Lunch & Learn Webinar Series as well as the Outside the Boundaries program . Whatever you did, thank you for your continued support for the profession and being a valued member of
the OPTA!
12 | September 2020 | OPTA
For more information, contact Sabrina at: sj33@evansville.edu