APTQI Disappointed by 9% Cut to Physical and Occupational Therapy

Included in Proposed PFS Rule for CY 2021

CMS proposal increases specialty provider cuts despite opposition from bipartisan lawmakers and
broad group of healthcare stakeholders.

Washington, DC, August 04, 2020 --(PR.com)-- The Alliance for Physical Therapy Quality and
Innovation (APTQI) today expressed concern over the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’
(CMS) decision to include deep, across-the-board nine percent payment cuts to physical and occupational
therapy in the Proposed Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Rule for CY2021. Originally included in the Final
PFS Rule for CY2020, APTQI has long advocated against the proposed cuts which threaten to undermine
the ability of vulnerable seniors to access the physical and occupational therapy services they need to
manage their post-operative care, pain, immobility and fall risk.

“We are deeply disappointed that – despite unified warnings from lawmakers, specialty providers, and
other stakeholders about the potentially devastating impact of these cuts in the midst of a global pandemic
– CMS nonetheless chose to move forward with Medicare specialty reimbursement reductions in 2021,”
said Nikesh Patel, PT, Executive Director of APTQI. “Based on today’s announcement, it is clear that
strong, decisive and bipartisan action in Congress is needed to offer critical relief to countless physical
therapy and specialty practices across the country who face severe reimbursement cuts if the PFS
Proposed Rule is implemented in its current form.”

The announcement comes after a prolonged period of strong opposition from APTQI, lawmakers and
other key stakeholders against the cuts. These efforts included:

§ On July 1, an American Medical Association (AMA)-convened workgroup of more than 170 state
medical and specialty societies sent a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar urging HHS to, “utilize its
authority under the public health emergency declaration to preserve patient access to care and mitigate
financial distress due to the pandemic by implementing the office visit increases as planned while
waiving budget neutrality requirements for the new Medicare office visit payment policy.”
§ On June 18, APTQI joined the AMA and dozens of other stakeholders in sending a letter to
Congressional leaders urging them to help stop harmful payment cuts to specialty healthcare providers,
including physical therapy.
§ On June 11, Representatives Brendan Boyle (D-PA) and Vern Buchanan (R-FL), and seven of their
colleagues, introduced the bipartisan Outpatient Therapy Modernization and Stabilization Act, which
would provide critical relief by protecting physical and occupational therapists from the eight percent
payment reduction set to go into effect by waiving the budget neutrality requirement in the CY2020 PFS
Final Rule.
§ On May 29, a group of 46 bipartisan members of the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter asking
Congressional leaders to include a waiver for the budget neutrality requirements included in the 2019
evaluation and management (E/M) code rule in any relevant legislation moving through the House in the
months ahead.
§ 10,873 grassroots letters sent from APTQI advocates to Congress, HHS Secretary Alex Azar and CMS

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Administration Seema Verma in opposition to the PFS cuts.

“If implemented in its current form, these cuts could drive physical therapy providers out of business,
particularly those who deliver care to underserved minority communities and older Americans – two
populations that have already been disproportionately impacted by the public health emergency,” added
Patel. “Congressional action is urgently needed to give providers, including physical and occupational
therapists, the critical financial relief they need to preserve practice operations and protect patient access
to medically necessary care.”

About Alliance for Physical Therapy Quality and Innovation (APTQI)

The Alliance for Physical Therapy Quality and Innovation (APTQI) unites small, medium and large
physical therapy practices to advocate for the physical therapy profession in the areas of payment reform,
quality initiatives, outcomes and innovation projects. We are an aligned group of therapists and practices
who share a common vision for the future of our profession. Our goal is to establish physical therapy as
the treatment of choice and the best value for patients and payers. Learn more at aptqi.com.

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Contact Information:
Part B Access for Seniors and Physicians Coalition
Ellen Almond
(703) 548-1163
Contact via Email
http://www.partbaccess.org/

Online Version of Press Release:

You can read the online version of this press release at: https://www.pr.com/press-release/818403

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