Advocacy Resources

The APTA Private Practice Board of Directors and Government Affairs Committee (GAC) through the support of the section's lobbyist firm, Hooper, Lundy, and Bookman, are actively engaged in monitoring, commenting, and meeting with key congressional members. Additionally, our Key Contacts network actively works to build relationships with Members of Congress to educate and advocate congress on issues impacting physical therapists and the communities they serve.  

Use these resources to enhance your understanding of federal issues related to the practice of physical therapy, find congressional contacts, and learn how to be an effective advocate. Subscribe to our advocacy blog to have updates sent to you. 

How Can You Help?

1. Educate yourself on the issues using the resources below.
2. Become a Key Contact and join our network of those working to create change.
3. Respond to Action Alerts from APTA and APTA Private Practice and make your voice heard. 

Legislative One-pagers

Legislative one-pagers are drafted by our lobbying team on key issues. They are designed so that you can leave a copy if you have a meeting with a congressional office, or use them to get a quick understanding of this issue for yourself.

• Improving Senior’s Timely Access to Care Act (H.R.8702/S.4532) which would reduce administrative burdens association with prior authorization by streamlining and standardizing how Medicare Advantage plans use prior authorization as well as increasing oversight and transparency of its use.
• EMPOWER Act (H.R.4878/S.2459) which seeks to require Medicare to accept a state's supervision standard for PTAs in all settings instead of Medicare requiring direct supervision in outpatient therapy settings.
• Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act (S.793/H.R.1617) which would enable all physical therapists to utilize locum tenens arrangements under Medicare.
• Expanded Telehealth Access Act (H.R.3875) which seeks to make permanent Medicare's temporary coverage for physical therapists using telehealth to provide physical therapy services.
• The REDUCE Act (H.R. 7279) This legislation will streamline the plan of care by eliminating the need for additional paperwork for those outpatient therapy services provided under a physician’s order if the therapist simply submits the plan of care to the patient’s referring physician within 30 days of the initial evaluation.

Find Your Members of Congress

Key Jurisdictional Committees

The House and Senate depend on committees to effectively consider the thousands of bills that are proposed each session. Find out if your Senator or Congressional Representative serves on a key committee of jurisdiction.

• House Energy & Commerce Committee
• House Ways & Means Committee
• Senate Finance Committee

2023-2024 Legislative & Advocacy Priorities

Congressional Communications

• APTA Private Practice joined over 120 organizations urging Congress to fix the flawed Medicare provider payment system and avert the proposed 2.8% cut to the 2025 Medicare conversion factor. (September 2024)
• APTA Private Practice submits feedback to the Senate Finance Committee on Medicare payment reform. In addition, APTA Private Practice submitted a combined therapy community letter to the Committee. (June 2024)
• APTA Private Practice and over 370 other organizations lend their support of the introduction of the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act. (June 2024)
• APTA Private Practice submits a Statement for the Record to the U.S. House Ways & Means Health Subcommittee for their May 23 hearing titled; “The Collapse of Private Practice: Examining the Challenges Facing Independent Medicine. (May 2024)
•  APTA Private Practice and 8 other therapy organizations thank the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health for including the Expanded Telehealth Access Act (H.R. 3875) and the Telehealth Modernization Act of 2024 (H.R. 7623) in their April 10 hearing (April 2024)
• APTA Private Practice and other rehabilitation therapy providers endorse the Medicare Patient Empowerment Act which seeks to add physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and chiropractors to the existing Medicare policy that allows Medicare providers to privately contract with beneficiaries after they formally "opt out" of the Medicare program. (November 2023)
• 46 organizations, including APTA Private Practice, urge House Leaders as well as the Chair and Ranking Members of the Energy & Commerce and Ways & Means Committees to protect the conversion factor by rejecting the implementation of the new G2211 add-on code. (October 2023)
• APTA Private Practice and 45 other organizations call on Senate leadership and the Senate Finance Committee to halt the implementation of the new G2211 add-on code. (October 2023)
• APTA Private Practice and other rehabilitation therapy stakeholders provide the House Energy & Commerce Oversight Subcommittee recommendations on Medicare reform policies which would benefit both therapists and patients (July 2023)
• Medicare Physician Fee Schedule: A Joint Statement From AOTA, APTA, ASHA, and APTA Private Practice on Outpatient Therapy Reform (June 2023)
• APTA Private Practice is one of 106 non-physician and physician stakeholder organizations who wrote to Congress in support of the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act (H.R.2474) which seeks to create an annual inflationary update to Medicare's reimbursement rate. (May 2023)
• APTA Private Practice and 103 other physician and non-physician providers point out the need for substantive Medicare payment reform and call on Congress to hold hearings and begin long-term payment reform efforts. (January 2023)

Regulatory Communications

• Comments on CMS' 2025 Payment Policies under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Changes to Part B Payment and Coverage Policies proposed rule (September 2024) 
• Comments on CMS' 2024 Payment Policies under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Changes to Part B Payment and Coverage Policies proposed rule (September 2023)
•  Comments in response to the new Medicare benefit of lymphedema compression garments, as proposed in CMS' Calendar Year 2024 Home Health proposed rule (August 2023)
•  Combined Medicaid Access Comment Letter (July 3, 2023)
•  "MIPS Value Pathway" Comment
•  "Medicare Advantage Prior Authorizations" Comment
•  "Interoperability and Prior Authorizations" Comment
•  Electronic Communications between Providers and Payers
•  APTA Private Practice and 8 other rehabilitation therapy stakeholders urge CMS to promptly align the expiration date of the use of telehealth codes with existing law--December 31, 2024 (February 2023)