It Only Takes a Couple of Minutes to Make a Difference!Advocacy Matters 2

YOU can be an advocate by utilizing the template below to ask your U.S. Representative to Protect Access to Care by Cosponsoring H.R. 5536.

Advocacy Matters 3As you are very likely aware, payment for Medicare Part B therapy services when provided by either a physical therapist assistant (PTA) or occupational therapy assistant (OTA) was reduced by 15% as of January 1, 2022. These cuts represent a tremendous threat to rehabilitation therapy assistants and may leave many older adults — especially those in underserved and rural areas — with less access to care.

On October 8, 2021, Reps. Bobby Rush (D-IL) and Jason Smith (R-MO) introduced the Stabilizing Medicare Access to Rehabilitation and Therapy (SMART) Act (H.R. 5536), in the U.S. House of Representatives. This NASL (National Association for the Support of Long Term Care)-supported bipartisan legislation is aimed at protecting beneficiary access to therapy services by mitigating the impact of the 15% payment differential for services furnished by rehab therapy assistants under Medicare Part B.

The legislation would suspend the PTA payment differential until January 1, 2023. It would also provide for an indefinite exemption to the policy for providers treating patients in rural and medically underserved areas.

The time for advocacy on this issue is now. NASL (National Association for the Support of Long Term Care) has prepared a letter for you to email to your respective House members urging them to cosponsor the SMART Act (H.R.5536) and push them to add the bipartisan legislation to the next government spending package that Congress must pass in March.

You can access and send this email in under two minutes using the link provided below: https://app.govpredict.com/gr/qwg5yg73

  • Select the link above, you will be prompted to type in your name, phone number, email, and street address.
  • Once you have done so, your respective House of Representative member will be pre-selected and you will then select the “Next” button, which will then generate a message that you are able to edit if you wish.
  • Once the message is sent, you will receive a thank you message confirming that your message was sent successfully.

Thank you for your advocacy!

Synergy Care

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