Thursday, November 29, 2012
Stop the Therapy Cap: Contact Your Members of Congress on Monday
APTA, in
conjunction with the Therapy Cap Coalition, is launching a national grassroots
campaign to "Stop the Therapy Cap" on Monday, December 3. The patient impact of the cap is the theme of Monday's
campaign. Almost 50 associations, organizations and patient groups will
be sending action alerts to their members. With about 30 days left until
expiration of the therapy cap exceptions process, the goal is to create a
significant surge in Congressional e-mails and phone calls urging members of
Congress to stop the therapy cap from taking effect in 2013.
APTA has
provided association members form letters and e-mails in its Legislative Action Center. To access the materials, log in
to the website, click "Take Action" under "Stop the Medicare Therapy Cap and
Prevent SGR Payment Cuts," and follow the instructions. If you have time,
personalize the e-mail and let Congress know how the cap impacts your patients.
Congress
has been very clear: it will not take action without input from constituents.
If you only send 1 advocacy e-mail or make 1 advocacy phone call this year, do
it on Monday.
APTA
will send out an Action Alert Monday morning with talking
points and instructions for contacting your legislators. Also, ask your
patients to e-mail or call their members of Congress on Monday using APTA’sPatient Action Center.
For more information on APTA's advocacy efforts, visit the Medicare Therapy Cap website.
Time is
running out! Take 5 minutes on Monday and contact your legislators. You can
make a difference and help prevent a hard Medicare therapy cap of $1,900 from
being implemented in 2013.
Comments
This "cap" is literally going to be a death sentence for 10's of THOUSANDS of elderly living in the nursing homes across America. Not to mention the 10's of THOUSANDS of MORE jobs that will be lost, in this industry. These people paid into the Medicare System for 40 years and this President and his Healthcare plan has stolen these benefits that were prepaid in advance.
Posted by Richard Ivy
on 11/29/2012 8:25 PM
I had to learn to walk and talk again after a brain injury in combination with several major skeletal injuries. I later on came to certify as a personal trainer. I enjoy good health now because of the therapy at such a crucial time in my life. People need therapy, not governmental regulation! Do not allow a cap on services.
Posted by Mike James
on 11/29/2012 10:20 PM
Of course the therapy cap should be rescinded, but let's not confuse the matter with criticism of the Affordable Health Care Act. The cap has been in existence since 1997 and remained intact under both Democratic and Republican presidents. We need to lobby both Congressional members of both parties and not play into partisan politics here.
Posted by Naomi Azulay -> =HQaB
on 11/30/2012 1:32 AM
New grads in Physical Therapy field can not get employment because of this medcare/mecaid cap!! I can fore see many patients denied the right to therapy which may lead to more preventable disabilities.
Posted by Moses Ogutu
on 11/30/2012 5:11 PM
Ms. Azulay, I don't think Richard Ivy is confusing anything. I think you are confused...the AHCA aka Obamacare has raided 700 billion from medicare to pay for its "plan"....this is why this cap has went into effect, and I can guarantee payment decreases will soon follow. Don't believe this is the answer to health care costs in the USA. Plus the cap has been around since the 70's for your info. What one has to look at is when has the medicare cap been in actual affect. Health Care premiums have went up....since the new healthcare act. The medicare cap is the least of our worries as HC professionals, soon people won't afford PT
Posted by Keith Zurbuch
on 11/30/2012 10:22 PM
I am self a self employed Therapist. It is getting harder
and more difficult to get our payment from Medicare. Many Pt's who work for a Hospital or large corporation may not see what goes on behind the scenes. You need to be concerned as well because it will affect you also.
Mile Stewart. PT
Posted by Mike Stewart
on 12/3/2012 7:56 AM
The Medicare Cap obstructs needed therapy for those that need multiple extensive services.
It does no good to have insurance coverage that arbitrarily limits access.
Please stop the therapy cap for OT, PT and ST services.
Posted by Tena Wallace
on 12/3/2012 2:14 PM
Gentlemen: This is a completely wrong measure to inact and will affect thousands and thousands of people who need addtional dollars (and time) for stroke rehab alone. PLEASE re-think this issue NOW!!!
Posted by Neal Martin
on 12/3/2012 4:06 PM
Some conditions require extensive therapies. The hard cap would end rehab mid way for many patients, as if they had no coverage.
Posted by P Jenkins
on 12/3/2012 7:56 PM
I think this is so wrong, we seniors were good as workers then when we.can retire and enjoy life we get sick and can't get help, which was taken out of our salary, now look at what happened. Those people that has been trained to help you, they are not getting paid and we are not getting therapy. what has this world become?
Posted by Sandy Goodin
on 12/10/2012 12:35 PM
As a Nursing Facility Administrator located in a critical access hospital, it was greatly impact our nursing facility tremendously to have a cap on Part B. therapy. We have more part B than skilled care, so we need to maintain the part B status we now have in order to help support our not for profit center. Thank you for your consideration in this crucial matter.
Posted by Bonnie Thornton
on 12/4/2013 2:29 PM