APTA: Working for You

House Releases Final Health Care Reform Bill, Senate Continues to Merge Proposals  

The US House of Representatives yesterday released its health care reform proposal, which would eventually extend coverage to 36 million more Americans and includes a public insurance option with negotiated rates. HR 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, authorizes a 2‐year extension of the current exceptions process to the Medicare therapy cap and includes a new program modeled after the National Health Services Corps that provides student loan repayment to frontline health care professionals, including physical therapists. The full House is expected to vote on the bill in coming weeks.

Still to be merged is the Senate Finance Committee's America's Healthy Future Act with the Affordable Health Choices Act, which was passed on a straight party line vote by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on July 15. The differences that must be resolved include public insurance options and the level of mandate on the employer and individuals to provide or purchase meaningful health coverage. Earlier this week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced a compromise proposal that would include a public option with the choice for states to opt out -- up until 2014 -- once the health insurance exchanges were up and running. Reid is still working on obtaining the votes needed to finalize the legislation and bring it to the Senate floor. 

More information about the physical therapy provisions included in Senate and House proposals is available in this week's health care reform podcast. 

Medicare Releases Final Changes to IRF Coverage Requirements

On Monday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its final inpatient rehabilitation facilities'(IRF) coverage requirements to reflect changes implemented in the IRF prospective payment system fiscal year 2010 final rule. In light of adopting the new coverage requirements (effective for IRF discharges occurring on or after January 1, 2010), a notice has been issued to rescind Health Care Financing Administration Ruling 85-2 (HCFAR 85-2) when the new coverage requirements take effect.

The manual revisions also replace Section 110 of the Medicare Benefit Policy Manual with new instructions that describe coverage for inpatient rehabilitation services provided in IRFs. Under the new coverage policies, the decision to admit a beneficiary to the IRF is the key to determining whether the admission is reasonable and necessary. Click here to view a list of subjects that the new instructions cover and access a complete copy of the new manual provisions.    

Summit Participants Endorse Patient Self-Referral for All Health Systems      

At the International Summit on Direct Access and Advanced Scope of Practice, held October 22-24 in National Harbor, Maryland, physical therapists from around the world heard that direct access and patient self-referral to a physical therapist is proven to be safe and results in improved health outcomes, more timely care, higher patient satisfaction, and lower costs.

Leaders from 18 countries endorsed the results of research that demonstrate that patient self-referral to physical therapy is best for all health systems, whether public or private.

Approximately 150 physical therapists attended the meeting, which was co-hosted by APTA, the World Confederation for Physical Therapy, and the Canadian Physiotherapy Association.

Read more at this link. Click here for photos of the event. 

APTA Screens 500-Plus Attendees at AARP

More than 560 attendees at the 2009 AARP Vegas @50+ Expo, held October 22-24 in Las Vegas, were screened for balance and falls by physical therapists from the Nevada Chapter and the Section on Geriatrics. In total, 44 APTA volunteers (13 physical therapists, one physical therapist assistant, and 30 students) manned APTA's booth for the 3-day event. 

Each participant who went through the Single Leg Stance Test received a folder with balance and falls information, which included one-pagers on fall prevention, a home safety checklist, and a physical therapy patient education brochure. Visitors to the booth who did not participate in balance testing were offered APTA one-pagers on a variety of health conditions.   

APTA staff held a raffle drawing each day for attendees to win a copy of Age-Defying Fitness.

APTA Joins Leaders in Bone and Joint Health at International Conference 

APTA recently participated in a 4-day strategic planning session that stressed the "enormous burden" posed by musculoskeletal disorders. The Bone and Joint Decade Global Network Conference, held in Washington, DC, was attended by a variety of international health care organizations, government policy makers, researchers, and patient advocates.   

Kristin Swygert Archer, PT, PhD, Gregory Hicks, PT, PhD, and Timothy Kauffman, PT, PhD, took part in the preparation of the strategic planning specialty group documents. Their expertise and contributions in the musculoskeletal specialty groups (trauma and injury, spinal disorders and low back pain, and bone health and osteoporosis) helped bring the role of physical therapy to the forefront throughout the conference.

In addition, posters by Terese Chmielewski, PT, PhD, Dina Jones, PhD, PT, and Yasser Salem, PT, PhD, NCS, PCS, were displayed at the conference.  

Live The Brand With Brand New Tools

APTA is pleased to offer members the following brand new tools on www.apta.org/brandbeat to help move you and the profession forward:

• Online "Marketing to Health Care Professionals Tool Kit" -- APTA is helping members educate referral sources about the benefits that a physical therapist has to offer. The online kit features a tutorial on how to market to this audience, a sample marketing plan and calendar of marketing activities, key messages, and pitch letters to physicians and nurse practitioners.
• Customizable Print Ads -- Promote the new brand to consumers and other health care professionals with APTA’s three customizable print ads, available in color or black and white. Run them in your local newspapers, on your Web site, and in your newsletters. When you customize with your facility name and/or facility logo, use high resolution graphics for print and low resolution for Web. (Please note: In order to customize these ads, you will need the assistance of a designer who can add your name and/or facility logo in the proper size and resolution.)
• "Move Forward" Consumer Brochure -- A downloadable and customizable brochure for members to use as part of their marketing efforts.  The brochure may be given to health care practitioners to give to their patients as well as used by members to educate their patients and to use at community events.

Pediatric Handout Now Available

A new members-only handout explains the role of physical therapists in helping children achieve and maintain mobility and quality of life by maximizing their potential to function independently. Download this handout and others from APTA's Public Relations Resource Center and distribute to your patients.  

The information also has been added to APTA's consumer Web site. 

New Streamlined Definition for Metabolic Syndrome Issued

Recently a new joint statement was released by a group of professional organizations -- including the American Heart Association, the International Diabetes Federation and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, among others -- identifying specific criteria for the clinical diagnosis of metabolic syndrome. The statement is aimed at streamlining the definition of metabolic syndrome, which previously had differed from one organization to the next. 

According to a news story from Heartwire, the American Diabetes Association was "notably absent" from the list of organizations signing on to the new definition due to "unresolved scientific issues" regarding metabolic syndrome.

"Specifically," the article reads, "the ADA, as well as the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), objected to the manner in which the metabolic syndrome was characterized as a risk factor for heart disease or diabetes, arguing that there was no need to diagnose a patient with the syndrome because emphasis should be placed on aggressively treating the individual risk factors."

To read more about this topic and the role of the physical therapist in treating people with 

heart disease and diabetes, and to post your thoughts about the new definition, go to APTA's Moving Forward blog.