WASHINGTON — The Medicare Patient Access to Physical Therapists Act (H.R. 1829), introduced March 31 by Reps. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.C.; Tim Murphy, R-Pa.; and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., would allow physical therapists to evaluate and treat beneficiaries without a physician referral.
"Direct access under Medicare would remove unnecessary barriers to the cost-effective rehabilitation services provided by physical therapists," said American Physical Therapy Association President R. Scott Ward, PT, PhD, in a statement. "Currently these health care consumers, which include seniors and people with disabilities, often have the greatest need for physical therapy services and experience unnecessary burdens to access these services.
"The referral/certification process can often cause delays that can impede a patient's ability to achieve his or her optimal functional outcome," he continued. "In light of today's economic environment, timely access to cost-effective physical therapy services for Medicare beneficiaries is critical."
Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia have eliminated the physician referral requirement for patients to access PTs for an evaluation, while 44 states and D.C. allow access to some form of physical therapy treatment without referral. The legislation would defer to the state law on access regarding physical therapy.
"Requiring Medicare patients to get a physician referral before they can see a physical therapist puts an undue burden on residents of rural areas who often travel long distances just to see their doctor," Pomeroy said. "Removing the physician referral requirement would save valuable time and money for Medicare patients in North Dakota and across the country."
A Senate companion bill is expected in the next several weeks, the APTA said.
Read the text of the Medicare Patient Access to Physical Therapists Act (H.R. 1829) bill.