APTA Advocacy Network Legislative Action Alert

After holding off on any big changes to home health payment in 2022, CMS plans to take some major steps in 2023 to address what it describes as the gaps between "assumed behavior changes and actual behavior changes" resulting from the Patient-Driven Groupings Model payment system implemented in 2020. Translation: The PDGM has cost significantly more than CMS hoped, so to reach its goal of budget neutrality compared with the previous system, the agency has proposed changes that would reduce payment by 4.2%, or about $810 million compared with 2022 amounts. 

The bulk of the cuts is directed at the 30-day payment rate, but even if those reductions are put into place in 2023, CMS believes more changes will need to be made in the future to recoup the payment differences that have already occurred under the PDGM — an estimated $2 billion gap so far. To that end, the proposed rule also seeks public comment on how to best make up the difference.

We need you to submit a comment to CMS on this issue. APTA is preparing comments on the rule to submit by the Aug. 16, 2022, deadline but we need your voice and your stories sent to CMS as well. Please use this template to send your comment and be sure to customize it with a personal story. Adding a personal story is important because it ensures it will be individually reviewed by CMS.

The deadline to submit comments is August 16, so we need you to act now and encourage others to send a comment of their own.

Thank you for your advocacy and making a difference on behalf of the physical therapy profession and the patients we serve.

2022 APTA Home Health Board Nominations

The APTA Home Health Nominating Committee is seeking nominations for the 2022 Home Health Board elections. The Nominating Committee is looking for volunteers to fill the following positions: 

• Vice President
• Nominating Committee Member

The nomination submission deadline is Monday, August 1, 2022. To learn more about the elections, requirements to hold office and to submit your nomination, CLICK HERE.

APTA Home Health House of Delegates Town Hall & Listening Session Update

For those of you who were not able to participate in our virtual town hall on July 13th, it is available to listen to at your leisure at: https://vimeo.com/733689576/10b3c12641 

We had a great mix of members participating including current and past delegates serving other components. There are 22 current motions that were discussed with some highlights of the discussion noted:

RC 9-22: Non pharmacologic blood pressure management
(In the support statement of BP screening rates by PTs across settings were 4%, compared with Home Health settings of rates close to 100%!)

RC 10-14 Access to Physical Therapist Services in the Prenatal and 4^th Trimester periods.
Many chapters involved with legislation in support of this concept

RC 14-22: Advocacy for Improved Access to Physical Therapist Services for Medicaid Beneficiaries
This motion encourages national APTA and state chapter efforts to improve access to PT services for Medicaid beneficiaries. A lot of the discussion revolved around although the federal government sets mandatory benefits that must be covered in all Medicaid programs, individual states administer Medicaid. Physical Therapy is not a federal mandatory benefit. Each state sets additional eligibility criteria leading to variable programs state to state.

RC 16-22: APTA’s Commitment to Being Inclusive of Individuals within LGBTQIA+ Populations
Resolves to create an inclusive environment and uplift LGBTQIA+ stakeholders, including members and non-member PTs & PTAs, students, patients/clients & society. Discussion: Do our Core Values cover this?

RC 17-22: Feasibility of Expanding Prescriptive Authority within Physical Therapist Scope of Practice
Prescriptive authority could include: specific medications, devices, health care services, DME, other equipment & supplies. Potential to help meet the needs of primary care. Discussion ranged from supporting of limiting scope of this motion to DME and wound care supplies, vs encouraging the wide scope to support our direct access and try to keep up with other providers such as NP, PAs, etc.

RC 18-22: Explore Opportunities to Enhance Engagement, Collaboration, and Knowledge-sharing in Physical Therapist Practice
To explore opportunities outside currently established framework of sections/academies. Info about one academy SIGs (Hospice & Palliative Care; Pain; Imaging) and multiple academies/councils (Balance & Falls in Geriatrics, Neurology, & Oncology with coordination of their work as the Trialliance), (Health Promotion & Wellness in Geriatrics, Neurology & Health Promotion & Wellness Council). Potential negative financial repercussions for our sections/academies

RC 20-22: Develop a Plan to Promote Equity in Pay Across Genders in the Physical Therapy Profession
A related motion will be coming out in Packet II on 7/15 as a Position Statement: Pay Equity on the Basis of Gender

And lots more but you’ll have to listen to the tape!

Some links that you might be interested in:

• APTA 2022 Slate of Candidates, Candidate Statements & Interviews
• House of Delegates HUB for Motion Discussion, House Reports
• Download the 2022 Packet I Final for all 22 Motions and Support Statements

Phil and I would appreciate receiving additional input from our members on the motions and APTA leadership candidates. We will be representing you at a virtual House of Delegates on July 30th and in DC in-person August 14th & 15th.  

Our emails are:

• Phil Goldsmith, Chief Delegate
  [email protected]
  
  
• Beth Black, Delegate
  [email protected]

Post-Acute Care Quality Reporting Programs

Recruitment Announcement – Technical Expert Panel (TEP) for Hospice QRP and Home Health QRP Health Equity Quality Measure Development

From CMS

Abt Associates is currently recruiting a wide range of hospice, home health, and health equity stakeholders—for example, providers, patient advocates, quality improvement, and health equity experts—to participate in a Technical Expert Panel (TEP) to provide input on a proposed health equity structural composite measure for both hospice and home health care settings.

The Call for TEP materials, including the draft TEP Charter and Nomination Form, are available at the Current TEP Opportunities webpage.

If you have general questions about the TEP and would like to contact Abt Associates, please email [email protected].

The measure development work is under CMS contract number 5FCMC18D0014 and task order number 75FCMC19F0001.