APTQI Facilitates Tours with Members of Congress to Help Shape Policy and Empower Patients

APTQI’s 2024 Practice Tour Program for Members of Congress is off to a successful start!

These clinic-based tours enable meaningful interactions between lawmakers, congressional staffers, and physical therapy practices nationwide. These tours serve as a platform for education, advocacy, and collaboration, addressing critical legislative issues shaping the future of physical therapy and patient care.

The first visits of the 2024 facility tour program have already yielded significant milestones, with congressional staffers visiting APTQI member clinics across the nation. To date, Representative Greg Steube’s staff visited CORA Physical Therapy in Port Charlotte, FL, while Senator Steve Daines’ team engaged with patients and professionals at Physical Therapy in Motion in Billings and Peak Physical Therapy & Sports Rehab in Helena, MT. Additional site visits are planned throughout the Spring.

Through firsthand experiences and insightful discussions, lawmakers and their staff are gaining valuable insights into the challenges, opportunities, and innovations within the physical therapy profession. Among the legislative issues discussed during these tours are the Stopping Addiction and Falls for the Elderly (SAFE) Act (H.R. 7618) and the Remove Duplicative Unnecessary Clerical Exchanges (REDUCE) Act (H.R. 7279).

• The SAFE Act recognizes physical therapists as experts in senior fall prevention and aims to bolster patient safety by allowing Medicare beneficiaries to receive a no cost fall risk assessment from a physical or occupational therapist as part of their wellness benefit.
• The REDUCE Act seeks to streamline access to physical and occupational therapy services by eliminating burdensome paperwork requirements. By removing the necessity for physician referrals and plans of care for every patient, this legislation enhances patient access to essential therapies, fostering more efficient and patient-centric care delivery models.

Staff from Congressman Steube’s office visited CORA Physical Therapy in Port Charlotte, FL:

Peak Physical Therapy & Sports Rehab welcomed staff from Senator Daines’ office in Helena, MT: