Every year Medicare makes changes to their rules and fee schedules. This year there are several proposed changes that will affect physical therapy services. We ask that you take a few minutes to look over the proposed changes and consider reaching out to your representatives.
The American Physical Therapy Association has made this process simple by providing pre-filled forms; you just need to enter your contact information. You are also able to change and/or personalize the message.
Below are the proposed changes with the links to the simple forms. Please consider submitting them on behalf of those with Medicare and physical therapists.
Fix Prior Authorization: Ask Your Members of Congress to Cosponsor the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act
The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act (H.R. 8702/S. 4532) aims to improve the current prior authorization system by requiring the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to streamline the way Medicare Advantage plans use prior authorization. This legislation would establish an electronic prior authorization process, require real-time decisions for services that are routinely approved, increase transparency by requiring Medicare Advantage plans to report to CMS on their use of prior authorization (including their rates of approval, denial, and average time of approval), and press them to do a better job of incorporating input from health care providers in their authorization programs and decisions.
Please ask your members of Congress to cosponsor the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act.
These two minutes may save you and your loved ones time, money, and negative clinical outcomes in the future. Thank you for taking action and for your support.
Support Medicare Payment Reform: Take Action for Physical Therapy (H.R. 2474)
The Medicare Fee Schedule does not currently have a built-in annual inflationary update. Medicare reimbursement for providers billing under the fee schedule has failed to keep pace with the true cost of running a practice. Combined with record inflation, year-over-year cuts, and coming on the heels of a highly disruptive pandemic, this statutory flaw will make it harder for Medicare patients to access the care they need.
Please take a few minutes to contact your representative and urge them to help fix the flawed Medicare physician payment system by co-sponsoring H.R. 2474.
We Appreciate You!
Thank you for reading this and if you took action we’re grateful! We can’t make changes alone, so we appreciate your time and willingness to help!