Legislative Roundup: Ensure Your Voice Is Heard!
A new bill funding the government through mid-November has been signed; however, with the uncertainty around the House Speaker position, there is a sense of dynamic opportunity. We recommend that healthcare providers and organizations review the legislative items below and consider sharing the impact they may have on your organization and the patients you serve with your legislators.
These are just a few of the issues that may be relevant for providers of rehabilitation services. There are also links below to review the advocacy agenda of several associations, which may also be important for you or your organization.
Expanding Remote Monitoring Access Act (H.R. 5394)
Summary: This would ease requirements to provide remote monitoring services to patients, including remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM). The bill adds flexibility on the 16 days of monitoring requirement currently in place, which as the bill outlines, is not always medically indicated. This change would expand the availability of monitoring services to more patients.
Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
Enabling More of the Physical and Occupational Workforce to Engage in Rehabilitation, or EMPOWER Act (S. 2459, H.R. 4878)
Summary: This bill would reduce administrative burden and improve patient access to outpatient therapy services by changing the requirement for “direct supervision” to “general supervision” of physical therapy assistants (PTAs) and occupational therapy assistants (OTAs), offering providers additional flexibility to provide services to patients.
Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act (H.R. 4829)
Summary: This bill would help alleviate physical therapists’ (PTs’) student loan debt burden by adding them to the National Health Service Corp Loan Repayment Program and give Federally Qualified Health Centers (CHCs) more options to provide access to physical therapy services.
Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
The Expanded Telehealth Access Act (H.R. 3875/S. 2880)
Summary: This bill would add PTs and PTAs under Medicare Part B and facility-based outpatient therapy providers as permanent authorized telehealth providers for Medicare.
Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health
Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act (H.R. 542)
Summary: This bill would support veterans and their caregivers by expanding access to support for home and community-based care programs for veterans while also assessing the Veterans Affairs’ caregiver and long-term care programs.
Status: Referred to the Committee on Veterans Affairs
Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2023 (H.R. 5159/S. 2137)
Summary: This bill would repeal recent permanent and temporary payment adjustments and would repeal the requirement that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) makes payment determinations based on expected impact of behavior changes on estimated expenditures.
Status: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
Your Voice Matters
Raise your voice and contact your house representatives and state senators to share your perspective and expertise. We also recommend reviewing the advocacy agenda and policies of your preferred professional association to help guide your advocacy efforts:
- American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
- American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
- American Speech, Language Hearing Association (ASHA)
- National Association of Rehabilitation Providers & Agencies (NARA)
- American Hospital Association (AHA)
- National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO)
- National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC)
- ADVION
- Alliance for Physical Therapy Quality & Innovation (APTQI)
