I know it seems like a broken record. I can’t even keep count of how many times I have had to bang on the drum here to let people know about the continual need for fighting for the rights of our geriatric population and to maintain access to the Healthcare services they are entitled to.
With all the craziness and instability currently in our federal government, we need to remind them that real life is still happening all throughout the United States. Healthcare cannot take a pause to wait and see what our government will do.
So what is on the table now?
Without intervention there are two significant issues at hand that need to be addressed on the March agenda. One of the issues is a permanent extension of the ability to utilize Telehealth services. Currently it was only temporarily extended and will be unavailable if there is no action from Congress. The other issue at hand, which anyone who is in Healthcare knows, another 2.8% reimbursement cut.
Why is Telehealth access so important?
When dealing with rural areas of our country, staffing can be a significant challenge. This makes it extremely difficult when someone has an illness or wants to actually take some paid time off to rejuvenate. When difficulties arise of not having a Therapist in the building, be it Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, or Physical Therapy. Having access to telehealth and an assistant on site can allow yhe assistant to be the hands for the Therapist elsewhere that is able to communicate and watch via video.
Some who are not accustomed to this don’t realize that it is actually a financial disadvantage as only the Therapist can bill time. The assistant work is unbillable so two employees are needing to be paid in order to bill for one of their services.
So why would you want to do this? Well it allows for timely starts of care and the resident does not have to waste time waiting for an available therapist. The resident is truely the benefactor of the ability to perform telehealth.
Another paycut????
So yes, once again an attempt to cut 2.8% off reimbursement again. So as inflation has happened, wages have actually grown in the general population, insurance companies are showing massive profits, and yet for therapy companies we are staring at the barrel of another reimbursement cut.
How many years in a row must we deal with the threat of a payment cut and stupidly feel relived that the cut happened but was less than expected. How much research do we need to have to finally show the significant financial benefit therapy services is when compared to injuries and chronic conditions from lack of mobility. Why do we feel it’s fine for Medicare to pay out 10s of thousands of dollars for a surgical intervention from a fall and fracture. While if they went to therapy and decreased the risk of falls through mproved mobility and flexibility only costing a thousand dollars for a month of treatment.
HR 879
The Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2025 is a bipartisan bill being introduced which would eliminate the 2.8% cut, add an inflationary measurement to reimbursement, and extend access to telehealth services. It is being brought to the floor but needs us to advocate to our local representatives to push the bill through. With passage of this bill we can significantly improve the ability of our geriatric population to receive therapy services regardless of where they live.
So what can I do?
Contact your local representation and tell them they need to fix problems, which this bill starts to do. The easiest avenue is to go to Www.ADVIONadvocates.org to find the link to this cause and use the pre-made letters to contact the correct people. It only takes a minute and all the voices together cannot be ignored.
