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.APTA-South Carolina News
SAVE THE DATE!
2022 APTA South Carolina Annual Conference
"Helping You Thrive"
March 25-26, 2022
Medical University of South Carolina — Division of Physical Therapy Charleston, SC
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Call for the Lisa Saladin Lecture Award
The Lisa Saladin Lecture was established in 2019 to honor the great achievements, innovation, and commitment to the profession as demonstrated by Lisa Saladin. Nominations must be submitted electronically via this form. All materials completed and submitted for each nomination must be received by January 31, 2022. If you have any questions, please contact info@aptasc.org.
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Time to Write Legislators and Press for the Payment Cut Fix
Bipartisan legislation is in the U.S. House of Representatives that would prevent cuts to the 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, and another bill in the House would address the PTA payment differential set to begin in January. Now that Congress is back in session, we're calling on the entire profession, patients, and supporters to use the APTA Patient Action Center to send a message to lawmakers that they can't ignore.
The fee schedule-related legislation, known as the Supporting Medicare Providers Act (H.R. 6020), would essentially offset the cuts planned by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid by providing additional funding to the fee schedule's conversion factor through the end of 2022. Reps. Ami Bera, D-Calif., and Larry Bucshon, R-Ind., introduced the bill.
That's not the only positive development on Capitol Hill: The bipartisan Stabilizing Medicare Access to Rehabilitation and Therapy Act, or SMART Act (H.R. 5536), introduced in the House in October would delay implementation of the 15% Medicare PTA payment differential until Jan. 1, 2023, provide an exemption to the differential for rural and underserved areas, and allow for general supervision of PTAs in outpatient settings. The SMART Act was introduced by Reps. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., and Jason Smith, R-Mo.
Take Action Now
Now's the critical time to let lawmakers know how important it is for Congress to act on both pieces of legislation. Here's how.
First, start sending letters this week. Delivering a strong, unified, and coordinated message is key — and timing is everything. Use the APTA Patient Action Center to send emails to your legislators in both the Senate and House to urge them to cosponsor H.R. 6020 and H.R. 5366 (APTA makes it easy to send multiple communications in a matter of minutes). And be sure to tell co-workers, patients, and other supporters to do the same — everyone can use our Patient Action Center.
Next, get connected with APTA (and be ready to act). It's hard to predict if, when, and how Congress will address the cuts, so we need to be ready to take further action on a moment's notice. The best way to do that? Sign up for the APTA Advocacy Network, a free service that sends you special legislative updates and action alerts so you're up to speed and ready to roll.
"We have great opportunity to change the 2022 payment landscape under Medicare," said Laura Keivel, APTA grassroots and political affairs specialist. "Our members and supporters have done an amazing job of advocacy throughout the year that has helped us get to this point — now it's time to bring it all home."
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.HEALTH PROMOTION AND WELLNESS
Primary stroke prevention worldwide: Translating evidence into action
The Lancet
Stroke is the second leading cause of death and the third leading cause of disability worldwide and its burden is increasing rapidly in low-income and middle-income countries, many of which are unable to face the challenges it imposes. In this Health Policy paper on primary stroke prevention, we provide an overview of the current situation regarding primary prevention services, estimate the cost of stroke and stroke prevention, and identify deficiencies in existing guidelines and gaps in primary prevention.
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.INDUSTRY NEWS
Telehealth isn't a given for physical therapy after the pandemic
APTA
The COVID-19 pandemic quickly brought about something APTA has long advocated for: allowing physical therapists to furnish services via telehealth, as well as expansions of coverage and payment parity for telehealth services by Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial payers. But many temporary provisions are expiring, and it's in the best interest of the profession and our patients to make them permanent.
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23 patient stories that show just how amazing PTs are
WebPT
Consider this collection of patient testimonials a small token of our appreciation for physical therapists. WebPT is sharing a collection of PT patient stories that highlight the many ways that PTs have changed lives for the better.
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Podcast: Can digital health really replace physical therapy?
Evidence in Motion
Brett Hayes, MSPT, Administrative Director of Sports Medicine at University of Louisville Healthcare, joins our host Larry Benz, DPT, OCS, MBA, MAPP, CEO of Confluent Health to talk about digital health replacing physical therapy. Brett discusses the importance of therapeutic alliance from a physical therapist but not missing out on opportunities to use digital health in your practice.
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Using nutrition science to help physical therapy patients
NCSU News
Claudia Swauger, a sophomore studying nutrition science, has goals of becoming a physical therapist one day. She wants to understand a person's overall nutrition and how that can be used as a tool or technique in helping physical therapy patients.
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Creating a positive workplace culture with authentic appreciation
APTA
Staff burnout, low morale, and high turnover are an increasing problem in most health care professions, and physical therapy is no exception. Good employees are not easy to find, develop, or keep in any environment, but it has been especially hard in the current economy and the wake of the Great Resignation of 2021.
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One-on-one services vs. group services
WebPT
Billing for one-on-one therapy and group therapy services can be tricky — so tricky that you may need a bit of post-billing therapy yourself. But if there’s one thing that's clear, it’s that you should never bill one-on-one CPT codes if you’ve provided group therapy services, as doing so increases your risk of a Medicare audit. So what, exactly, are you allowed to bill (and when)?
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Interprofessional collaborative therapy: An old idea revisited
Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Journal
The rehabilitation trinity of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology is the foundation of neurologic recovery. Collaboration among these 3 disciplines supports the common goal of optimizing recovery. Although the sharing of expertise has long been considered best practice, the specifics of interprofessional collaboration deserve deeper consideration.
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