Therapy Cap Repeal Legislation Introduced in House and Senate
Today,
members of Congress reintroduced identical bills in the House and Senate that
would permanently repeal the cap on outpatient physical therapy services. Sens
Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the Senate's measure. The
House legislation is sponsored by Reps Jim Gerlach (R-PA) and Xavier Becerra
(D-CA).
With
discussion on permanent reform of the sustainable growth rate (SGR) ramping up,
Congress also must address long-term repeal of the therapy cap, an arbitrary
limit on services that often are medically necessary for patients. Both flawed
policies were created in 1997 as part of the Balanced Budget Act and should be
repealed this year. Given the opportunity to act on both SGR and the therapy
cap, this should be the last time cap repeal legislation should need to be
introduced, says APTA.
Access
to physical therapist services has long enjoyed broad bipartisan support, with
approximately 200 members of Congress supporting therapy cap repeal legislation
every congressional session.
If
Congress does not act on legislation by December 31, the 2-tier exceptions
process that was extended through 2013 by the American Taxpayer Relief Act of
2012 (HR 8), will expire.
Read
comments from the bills' sponsors in APTA's press release.