APTA-championed legislation, which would help bolster the physical therapy workforce, especially in rural and underserved areas, was reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives this week by Reps. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., and Morgan Griffith, R-Va. If enacted, this legislation would add PTs to the National Health Service Corps, or NHSC, and expand the role of PTs into federal community health centers, or CHCs, across the nation.
H.R. 5621, the Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act, would add PTs to the list of health care providers who can participate in the NHSC loan repayment program. Under this program, admitted health care providers who work for at least two years at an approved clinic or facility located in a medically underserved area designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration, or HRSA, could be eligible for up to $50,000 in student loan repayment. The bill would expand access to PT services and elevate the status of PTs in community health centers by providing CHCs with the option to hire physical therapists and allowing them to directly bill Medicare and Medicaid for therapy services, benefits these programs already cover. CHCs have historically been one of the top sites for hosting providers participating in the NHSC program.
H.R. 5421 would expand access to physical therapy care for patients in rural and underserved areas, which continue to grapple with shortages of health care providers.
“APTA is proud to champion the reintroduction of the Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act, a critical step toward addressing the growing shortage of health care providers — especially in medically underserved communities,” says APTA President Kyle Covington, PT, DPT, PhD. “By including physical therapists in the National Health Service Corps, this bipartisan legislation affirms the essential role of physical therapist services in preventing disability, managing chronic conditions, and restoring quality of life for millions of Americans. It expands access to care where it is needed most, helping ensure that patients in rural and underserved areas can receive the rehabilitative care they need to support independence, health, and well-being.”
The data clearly show that the NHSC program is highly successful, benefiting both patients and providers. According to the Congressional Research Service, at least 80% of providers who serve in the program choose to continue practicing in that medically underserved area, which is a win for health care professionals and the communities they serve.
APTA members and their patients can help build support for this bill by visiting the APTA Patient Action Center and sending a letter directly to their member of Congress, asking them to cosponsor this bill.
The Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act has been endorsed by the National Association of Community Health Centers.