Page 25 - OPTA Access Spring 2017

OPTA | March 2017 | 25
it is a monumental task to nd a policy that is bene cial for health professionals, patients, and third party payers alike It is our job as physical therapists to advocate for our patients as well as our profession, and this means being involved in the construction of effective reimbursement models
For every presentation and for every topic there was also a question and discussion period Since every state has their own unique policies, the discussion was extremely bene cial for everyone involved. Many states are currently going through policy changes that other states have already made Each state chapter had valuable information to share with others, including how they were able to make changes and what process was effective for them I was impressed with the unity of the APTA and it was a fantastic experience to be able to witness the teamwork that goes into making payment and policy changes
The Policy and Payment Forum was a great place to learn; but it was also a perfect opportunity to meet some of the most active and engaged individuals in the profession, as well as a great place to socialize and have fun There were plenty of opportunities to speak with physical therapists from all over the country between sessions, at the end of the day, and at the luncheon that was held on both days During the luncheons, I met several individuals who are leaders
in their respective states We had many discussions about school, my interests, their jobs, and all other aspects of life and physical therapy I received invaluable advice about my future from every person I spoke to I had the opportunity
to ask questions and receive feedback from therapists in all different types of practice and walks of life. The rst night
of the forum was particularly enjoyable All the physical therapists and students in attendance from Ohio met at the hotel sports bar to get dinner and to watch the Ohio State football team play Oklahoma I was able to spend some quality time with our state’s leaders and also have a great time watching football The knowledge and experience I gained was tremendous, and I had a great time while doing so I am fortunate to have been able to attend the State Policy and Payment Forum, and I am thankful to the OPTA for selecting me to have this experience
APTA State Policy & Payment Forum Recap
Jen Semans, SPT –Ohio University
Last September I was fortunate enough to be selected to attend the APTA’s State Payment and Policy Forum As a physical therapy student who will be graduating this spring, I truly valued the chance to learn more about the issues affecting physical therapy legislation
I, along with other students and representatives from each state, spent the weekend discussing legislation that may affect our profession, reimbursement methods, and the scope of our practice It was interesting to hear from each state representative, since each state has different laws regarding the scope of physical therapy States that passed
Our OPTA student member,
Jen Semans, at the 2016 State Policy & Payment Forum in Pittsburgh.
laws important to our practice gave advice and suggested ways that would make passing similar laws in other states easier Hearing their success stories inspired me to become more proactive in ensuring laws that help protect our practice are passed
One of the most interesting and engaging presentations was given by Harold D Miller, the president and CEO of the Center for Healthcare Quality & Payment Reform He spoke about a new reimbursement method for physical therapy services Though changing reimbursement methods takes time, it was great to hear that healthcare professionals are trying to nd ways to improve reimbursement, so that it may bene t both the patients and healthcare providers.
The most rewarding aspect of this conference was learning the most up-to-date information on payment
and policy One of the most talked about topics was the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact The Compact could greatly improve the availability of physical therapists and be bene cial to physical therapists who move frequently due
to their spouses being in the military Though the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact is still in the early stages, it was highly supported by all members of the conference State representatives from each state that had already passed the bill spoke about their experience with getting the bill passed They gave advice to other states on how to ensure the bill gets passed in their prospective state New evaluation codes were also discussed at the conference Kathleen Picard gave a detailed presentation about the new codes, with very speci c descriptions of what each code entailed She also gave examples of evaluations and asked everyone at the conference to select which code should be used In addition to engaging the attendees, she helped everyone understand the codes and how to use them in everyday practice
This conference informed me on the issues affecting physical therapy, while inspiring me to take action to help to further our profession I was able to inform my classmates of these issues to help ensure that we all become active members in the physical therapy community