Representatives Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) and David McKinley (WV-01), and others, have reintroduced legislation that aims to expand the number of practitioners eligible for Medicare reimbursement for telehealth services, APTA reports.
Legislation to Promote Workforce Diversity in Allied Health Professions Re-Introduced in Congress
(Washington, DC) US Senators Robert Casey (D-PA) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and US Representatives Bobby L. Rush (D-IL) and Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), introduced the Allied Health Workforce Diversity Act (HR 3320/S 1679) in the House of Representatives and US Senate.
This legislation would provide grants to increase opportunities for individuals who are from underrepresented backgrounds, including students who are from racial and ethnic minority groups, in the professions of occupational therapy, physical therapy, respiratory therapy, speech-language pathology, and audiology.
The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC), the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), and the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) are thrilled to have committed champions to a more dive
TOPS Study: Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy in Postacute Settings is Beneficial
Physical therapy and occupational therapy provide functional benefits to most Medicare patients in postacute care settings, according to data from the “Therapy Outcomes in Post-Acute Care Settings” (TOPS) study.
The study, which uses data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, provides evidence that PT and OT has significant rehabilitative value across 1.4 million Medicare cases. Findings from the study have implications for postacute care payment system reforms and can serve as a baseline for future studies, APTA notes in a media release.
APTA/AOTA Statements
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) comment on the study’s findings, in a joint statement: