Athletico Government Affairs
Healthcare is one of the most regulated industries in the United States, and what happens in Washington, D.C. and in our state capitals can have a profound impact on the care that we deliver. Athletico’s Government Affairs team works to identify important public policy issues and advocates to promote policies that will improve patient access to cost-saving, medically necessary care, as well as to assure our therapists are fairly compensated for the industry-leading services they provide.
Separate from Athletico’s Government Affairs team, Athletico employees have recognized the importance of influencing policy. To that end, Pain Free America, The Political Action Committee of Athletico Holdings, LLC (the “PAC”) was created. The PAC allows Athletico employees to pool their political contributions to support candidates for federal office that recognize the importance of physical and occupational therapy services.
For more information about the PAC, or if you want to contribute, please contact: pac@athletico.com.
Top Issues Impacting the Industry
PTA/OTA Supervision:Medicare imposes supervision requirements for physical and occupational therapy assistants that have been shown to decrease access to care, increase costs, and increase the number of visits that a patient needs to get better. Senate Bill 5 has been introduced in Congress to address issues by aligning Medicare’s supervision rules with applicable state law. Such a change would provide greater staffing flexibility that would allow clinics to offer more appointment times so that patients can be assured that they will have access to the physical/occupational therapy care that they need. Resources to learn more about Senate Bill 5: |
Medicare Physician Fee Schedule:Did you know that, over the last ten years, Medicare has cut reimbursement for physical and occupational therapy services by over 25%? In addition to these cuts, Medicare is threatening another round of arbitrary cuts for 2023. These cuts threaten to reduce reimbursement for physical/occupational therapy below the cost of care. In addition, continued cuts would lead to decreased patient access to the physical/occupational therapy care they need. Resources to learn more about proposed Medicare cuts: |
Now is the time to act! Visit the APTA’s Patient Action Center to contact your Congressperson and CMS directly on these issues.
News
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Athletico Physical Therapy Applauds Introduction of Senate Bill 5This bill represents the continuation of an Athletico led initiative, in partnership with our industry allies, to ensure that Medicare’s supervision standards for therapy assistants align with state law and allow for appropriate access to safe and effective physical and occupational therapy services for Medicare beneficiaries. |