TAKE ACTION! Just a quick note as a follow up to this post: Thanks to Jason Bellamy, Director, Web & New Media, APTA for letting me know about a new action item regarding the ability of physical therapists to opt out of Medicare. On March 21, 2013, Representative Tom Price (R-GA) introduced the Medicare Patient Empowerment Act of 2013 (HR 1310), which would provide physical therapists with the ability to privately contract with Medicare beneficiaries. Everyone can take action on this issue – APTA members, non members, patients and other healthcare professionals! How to Take Action APTA has posted information on Medicare private contracting (“opt out”) in its federal issues area, which includes links for members and nonmembers to be able to take action: http://www.apta.org/FederalIssues/PrivateContracting/ The template action letter can be personalized – it’s a quick and effective way to let your voice be heard. Unfortunately, the Opt Out legislation isn’t one of APTA’s “priority” legislative issues for 2013, which makes it even more necessary to keep the grass roots energy going! Please take a minute to speak out for our profession.
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If you have been active in social media for a while, you may have noticed that DPT students are participating in discussions about the current and future state of our profession. I am so encouraged by this passionate group, and really enjoy watching them think critically about important issues. One student that has impressed me for quite some time is Matt De Bole. I had the pleasure of participating in an APTA Roundtable discussion with Matt a few months ago: http://bit.ly/UzgfmM and we got to meet in person recently when Matt was in town over his Spring Break. He agreed to answer some questions I had regarding current DPT student education and the profession in general. He is bright, well spoken, passionate, and a sharp dresser (always in a bow tie). I look forward to seeing his career take off after he graduates. You can find Matt on Twitter at @MattDeBole and you can follow the #DPTstudent chat on Twitter every Wednesday night at 9pm EST. Interview with Matt DeBole, SPT 1) Give readers a brief bio – where you go to school, when you will graduate, what you did prior to PT school Having suspicions I would one day become a physical therapist, in 2008, I received my Psychology degree from Georgetown University with a concentration in pre-medicine. After earning a birth in the 2008 Olympic Track and Field Trials in the 1500 meters, I continued to pursue a professional running career for several more years. In the summer of 2011, I hung up the racing spikes and entered into the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the University of Pittsburgh. I currently serve as class president as well as the 2012-2013 Director of the APTA Student Assembly. Loans In Minutes For Bad Credit 2) What […]
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I just received an alert that SB 381 was introduced in the California Senate by Senator Leland Yee. The bill is below. Please let Senator Yee know you oppose this bill. BILL NUMBER: SB 381 INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Senator Yee FEBRUARY 20, 2013 An act to add Section 734 to the Business and Professions Code, relating to chiropractic practice. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST SB 381, as introduced, Yee. Healing arts: chiropractic practice. Existing law, the Chiropractic Act, enacted by an initiative measure, provides for the licensure and regulation of chiropractors by the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners. Under the act, a license authorizes its holder to practice chiropractic as taught in chiropractic schools or colleges but does not authorize its holder to dollar loan practice medicine, surgery, osteopathy, dentistry, or optometry. Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of physicians and surgeons and osteopathic physicians and surgeons by the Medical Board of California and the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, respectively. This bill would prohibit a health care practitioner from performing a joint manipulation or joint adjustment, as defined, unless he or she is a licensed chiropractor, physician and surgeon, or osteopathic physician and surgeon. The bill would provide that a health care practitioner who performs a joint manipulation or joint adjustment in violation of these provisions engages in the unlawful practice of chiropractic, which shall constitute, among other things, good cause for the revocation or suspension of the health care practitioner’s license, as specified. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 734 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read: 734. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, a health care practitioner subject to regulation pursuant to this division […]
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On my mind today: Following is a list of the Members of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health. We need to contact these folks to ask them to support H.R. 1546 (112th): Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act of 2011. This will amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to repeal the Medicare outpatient rehabilitation therapy caps. By repealing the outpatient rehabilitation caps we will allow patients with chronic illnesses and complicated recoveries to continue to access the care they need to live a full and functional life. If your representative is not on this list, please contact them anyway. Every representative matters. Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health Rep. Kevin Brady, TX, Chairman Rep. Sam Johnson, TX Rep. Paul Ryan, WI Rep. Devin Nunes, CA Rep. Peter Roskam, IL Rep. Jim Gerlach, PA Rep. Tom Price, GA Rep. Vern Buchanan, FL our credit card findercurrent financial climate the Rep. Adrian Smith, NE Rep. Jim McDermott, WA, Ranking Member Rep. Mike Thompson, CA Rep. Earl Blumenauer, OR Rep. Ron Kind, WI Rep. Bill Pascrell, NJ Contact Info: Ways and Means Committee Office 1102 Longworth House Office Building Washington D.C. 20515 P: 202-225-3625 F: 202-225-2610 We also need to ask our representatives to amend Section 1802(b)(5)(B) of the Social Security Act, which currently prohibits physical therapists from entering into private contracts with Medicare patients to provide services. Because the current law does not allow physical therapists to “opt out” of Medicare, small physical therapist owned private practices that do not participate with Medicare are prohibited from treating Medicare patients. This prohibits a significant portion of the population from seeking physical therapy care from the provider of their choice. Nearly all other healthcare providers and physicians are able to “opt out” and many service providers (massage therapists and personal trainers) are not […]
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I wanted to share an article I wrote for WebPT’s blog this month about Patient Satisfaction http://bit.ly/VWejoD accessible I take this issue very seriously, and try to provide service that is above and beyond the service you would experience anywhere else. As always, I welcome your feedback if there is anything I can do to better support you! title loans kentucky Ann
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