The proposed spending package released by Congress on March 8 is deeply concerning in its failure to address the 2025 Medicare Fee Schedule. This oversight ignores the critical challenges that health care providers, including physical therapists, are facing due to declining reimbursement rates and mounting administrative burdens.

The unsustainable payment cuts affecting health care professionals, especially physical therapists, threaten not only the viability of practices but also the quality of care available to Medicare beneficiaries. This inaction will have serious consequences both for the Medicare program and the many patients it serves.

The American Physical Therapy Association joins more than 100 other health care organizations, including the American Medical Association, to urge Congress to take immediate action to address the Medicare payment issue as part of the continuing resolution set to expire on March 14.

Take action now — your voice matters: Call your House of Representatives member and urge them to include legislative language to reverse the 2.8% fee schedule payment cut that became effective Jan. 1. You can find your representative's phone number by going to house.gov and entering your ZIP code. Then visit the APTA Patient Action Center for a sample customizable script to guide your call. Be sure to explain how these cuts affect your patients, your business, and your community.