For physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, payer policy affects everything from day-to-day operations to long-term financial sustainability. To help members navigate these challenges, APTA, together with APTA Orthopedics and APTA Private Practice, created the State Payer Advocacy Resource Consortium, or SPARC: a centralized, growing digital hub designed to support successful payer advocacy in every state.

SPARC gives PTs and PTAs practical tools, clear guidance, and direct support to address payer issues that affect access to care and the bottom line, says Mike Horsfield, PT, MBA, president of APTA Private Practice.

"SPARC is more than an initiative," Horsfield says. "It is a mindset change."