On October 1 significant changes will occur regarding the Medicare therapy cap exceptions process that will impact physical therapists (PTs) and their patients. In order to help make the transition as smooth as possible, APTA has developed a Medicare Therapy Cap Resources webpage. This webpage compiles relevant information available from APTA and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in 1 place. The resource page includes: 

• a frequently-asked-questions sheet, a webinar that reviews the new exceptions process, and a podcast on the therapy cap
• links to Medicare Administrative Contractor websites where information on manual medical review is posted
• manual medical review complaint form
• CMS resources, including a fact sheet, a frequently- asked-questions sheet, open door forum transcript and transmittals
• information for Medicare beneficiaries
• medical necessity and documentation resources
• advocacy information

Share this information and new resource with your colleagues and staff.

E-mail questions to advocacy@apta.org. Questions regarding the therapy cap also can be e-mailed directly to CMS at therapycapreview@cms.hhs.gov.

Barefoot and minimalist shoe wearers reported a more anterior footstrike than traditionally shod runners, say authors of an article that will be published in the October-December issue of the US Army Medical Department Journal. Traditionally shod runners were more likely to report injuries of the lower extremities than runners who wear minimalist shoes.  

For this retrospective descriptive epidemiology survey, the authors recruited 2,509 runners (1,254 male, 1,255 female) aged 18 to 50 to complete an anonymous online survey. The survey assessed running tendencies, footstrike patterns, shoe preferences, and injury history. Reported footstrike patterns were compared among 3 shoe groups: traditionally shod, minimalist shoes, and barefoot runners. Overall and specific anatomical injury incidence was compared between traditionally shod and minimalist shoe-wearing runners. They did not include 1,605 runners in the analyses due to incomplete data or recent changes in footstrike patterns and/or shoe selection.

Shoe selection was significantly associated with reported footstrike (χ² (4df) =143.4). Barefoot and minimalist runners reported a more anterior footstrike than traditionally shod runners. Traditionally shod runners were 3.41 times more likely to report injuries than experienced minimalist shoe wearers (46.7% shod vs 13.7% minimalist, χ² (1df) =77.4, n=888). Minimalist shoe wearers also reported fewer injuries at the hip, knee, lower leg, ankle, and foot than traditionally shod runners.

Additional longitudinal prospective research is required to examine injury incidence among various footstrike patterns and shoe preferences, the authors add.

The article was written by APTA members Donald L. Goss, PT, DPT, PhD, OCS, ATC, and Michael T. Gross, PT, PhD, FAPTA.

The President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition will phase out its Youth Fitness Test, which dates back to 1966, and replace it with the Presidential Youth Fitness Program. The comprehensive school-based program employs the latest science and promotes health and physical activity for America's youth. This voluntary program represents a significant change in how schools and parents approach kids' physical fitness. Instead of recognizing athletic performance, the new program assesses students' health-related fitness and helps them progress over time.

The Presidential Youth Fitness Program minimizes comparisons between children and instead supports students as they pursue personal fitness goals for lifelong health. By adopting the program, schools gain access to a robust selection of resources to promote lifelong physical activity: web-based access to test protocol, standards for testing, calculators for aerobic capacity and body composition, promotion of PALA+, online training, school recognition programs, and more.

Key to the success of the Presidential Youth Fitness Program is the expertise and resources provided by partnering organizations, which include:

• The adoption of the Cooper Institute's fitness assessment, FITNESSGRAM®.
• Professional development, such as monthly webinars, led by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, a leading organization of professionals involved in physical education.
• The Amateur Athletic Union's continued administration of the youth fitness recognition program.
• The expertise of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to lead the development of a plan to track and evaluate the Presidential Youth Fitness Program.

APTA's Innovation Summit 2013: Collaborative Care Models will bring together innovators and thought leaders from physical therapy, health policy, payment, and other health professions to explore the role of physical therapists in new models of health care delivery and payment. Participation in the summit will be available to all members through live web streaming. Attendance onsite will be limited to speakers, panelists, and invited attendees, including the member innovators selected through this nomination process.

APTA sections, chapters, and the Student Assembly are each invited to nominate a member who is involved in an innovative model of care to attend and participate in the Summit, to be held March 7-8, 2013, in the Washington, DC area. A panel of member experts will select 20 member innovators to share their practice models as a part of the Summit. Those selected will receive free registration and a stipend for travel and lodging expenses. Chapters and sections whose nominees are selected will receive special recognition during the Summit.

The deadline for nominations is Monday, October 22. More information about the Summit is available at www.apta.org/innovationsummit. Components can direct questions about the nomination process to innovationsummit2013@apta.org.

Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance companies and employers now are required to provide consumers in the private health insurance market with a brief summary of what a health insurance policy or employer plan covers, called a Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC). Additionally, consumers will have access to a uniform glossary that defines insurance and medical terms in standard, consumer-friendly terms.

These tools also will help employers find the best coverage for their business and employees.

SBC includes a new comparison tool that helps consumers compare coverage options by showing a standardized sample of what each health plan will cover for 2 common medical situations. The comparison tool is modeled on the nutrition facts label required for packaged foods.

SBC will include information about the covered health benefits, out-of-pocket costs, and the network of providers. The glossary defines terms commonly used in the health insurance market, such as "deductible" and "copay," using clear language.

Starting this fall, consumers will receive SBC free of charge and in writing from their insurance companies or employers. This information can be requested at any time, but it will also be made available when shopping for, enrolling in, or renewing coverage. It also will be provided whenever information in SBC changes significantly.

SBC now is available for consumers in the individual health insurance market. For enrollees in group health plans enrolling during an open enrollment period, it will be available during the next open enrollment period that started on or after September 23, 2012. For enrollees who enroll outside of an open enrollment period, it will be available at the start of the next plan year that began on or after September 23, 2012.

The Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight provides examples of SBC, an SBC template, and the uniform glossary. 

Additional information for consumers is available at healthcare.gov. 

If you're not receiving the Foundation for Physical Therapy's monthly News & Events  e-newsletter,  sign up today and stay current with the latest information on research supported by the Foundation, funding and awards, and events. The newsletter also provides quick links to information about the Foundation's Trustees and staff; scholarships, fellowships, and grants; and how to make a donation.

September's Visualizing Health Policy, a new monthly feature in JAMA, illustrates how health care costs in the United States have surged over the past 50 years. The infographic, created by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), shows how health care spending is unevenly distributed within the US population, with only half the population accounting for more than 97% of health care costs; how health care costs are putting pressure on US families; how the United States spends more per person for health care than other countries; and how the cost of health insurance premiums has increased in the past decade for both workers and employers.

Archived infographics are available on KFF's website. 

A free booklet available in English and Spanish from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) aims to teach children and teens how to avoid sports injuries. Suitable for active kids, parents, and coaches, the story features teen soccer player Ana, who sprains her knee during a pick-up game at a family picnic. Ana and her family learn the best way to treat a sports injury promptly to avoid future complications. This new resource also offers specific tips on how to keep sports safe for kids and prevent injuries, such as warming up before exercise and staying hydrated.

Ana's Story is NIH's second fotonovela, a comic-book style publication popular in the Hispanic/Latino culture that has been used effectively as an educational tool. Isabel's Story, also available in English and Spanish, teaches about osteoporosis and bone health. 

Free copies of both Ana's Story and Isabel's Story are available to anyone upon request. To order, contact NIH's National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases' information clearinghouse at 877/ 226-4267 or http://catalog.niams.nih.gov/.