Opportunity to Permanently Repeal the Cap Next Week, Only 1% of APTA Members Have Taken Action since Monday

The House and Senate will be working on legislation to reform the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula next week, and we have an opportunity to include a full repeal of the Medicare therapy cap in these legislative packages.  Now is the time to act and tell your members of Congress to permanently fix the cap.

A hard cap on therapy services could impact 1 million patients, but only about 1 percent of APTA members have taken action and contacted their legislators this week.  Fortunately, there is still time to act.  Email or call your legislators today and ask them to permanently repeal the Medicare therapy cap in the SGR reform packages being discussed next week.  Tell your members of Congress to show their support for full repeal by cosponsoring the Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act (H.R. 713/S.367) before they adjourn for the holidays. 

Ask your Senators to include a full repeal of the cap in the SGR legislative framework being considered by the Senate Finance Committee on December 12.

Ask your Representative to include a full repeal of the cap in the SGR package being discussed by the House Ways and Means Committee next week.

APTA members can email their legislators using the Legislative Action Center, non-members and patients can use the Patient Action Center.  Individuals can use theU.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate directories to look-up the phone numbers for their members of Congress.

Tell you legislators how the cap impacts your patients and businesses.  This is the first time since the cap was enacted in 1997 that we have an opportunity to permanently repeal the cap, not just extend the exceptions process.  It is essential that the voice of the physical therapy community is heard this week. Contact your legislators today.  Don’t rely on 1 percent to protect the future of 1 million patients.

American Physical Therapy Association - 1111 N. Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA, 22314. 800-999-APTA (2782). To manage the types of e-mail messages you receive from APTA, please visit www.apta.org/email