Moving Forward

Let’s all take a moment to collectively exhale. When President Obama signed the Temporary Extension Act of 2010 (HR 4691) into law Wednesday morning, momentarily reinstating the therapy cap exceptions process, it was welcome relief to the physical therapy profession and our Medicare patients nationwide.But now that we’re done exhaling,...

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More than a month after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, an article this week in The New York Times reminds readers of the ongoing need for physical therapy that many survivors will experience in the days, months and years to come. According to the article, these patients “need continuing...

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Last May, I congratulated APTA’s New York Chapter on the media coverage they had generated highlighting the negative effects so-called “specialty” co-pay fees are having on patients. At that time, I predicted we’d be hearing even more about our New York colleagues in the months to come – and boy,...

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As a growing number of Medicare patients begin reaching the $1,860 therapy cap, APTA’s efforts on Capitol Hill to stop the cap are gaining media attention and key supporters in Congress.An article in Wednesday’s Hill, which features APTA, describes the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ instructions on the options...

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Calls and emails continue to pour into APTA from members wanting to volunteer or assist in some way with the disaster relief efforts in Haiti. In response, APTA has created a new Web page – www.apta.org/haiti -- to serve as a clearinghouse for current information on ways to provide...

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Amid the recent media coverage of the need for evidence-based information, a story in the American Medical News caught my eye. The story reported on a survey of primary care doctors, which found that 65% of them search the Web more than once a day to gather health, medical or...

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We are all deeply saddened by the immense destruction and loss of life we’re seeing and hearing about following the devastating earthquake in Haiti. The challenges the Haitians face are astounding and truly difficult to fathom. They desperately need help and I know many APTA members are eager to provide...

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This week’s “Treat Me, but No Tricks Please,” article in The New York Times has elicited a wide range of emotions throughout the profession – and probably more emails to my inbox on any one topic than I’ve received in recent years. While many of you are angry at the...

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A lot can happen in a year… it has been a truly incredible one.APTA made some impressive strides in 2009, launching a number of new initiatives and remaining a healthy and sound organization despite a shaky economy. None of this would be possible without the support of our members.And...

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APTA held a groundbreaking meeting December 2-4 in Philadelphia called “Vitalizing Practice Through Research and Research Through Practice.” The goal of the meeting was to achieve a new culture in the physical therapy profession in which clinicians and researchers collaborate to transfer research into practice. If you weren’t able to...

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Under health reform proposals circulating through Congress, employers of all sizes could get incentives to entice workers into corporate wellness programs, according to an article this week by Reuters. Although there is no “solid evidence” that these programs actually improve employees’ health or help companies’ bottom lines, according to the...

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Health care reform has clearly been dominating the spotlight on Capitol Hill and in the news media this year, but two issues vitally important to the physical therapy profession and our patients need to take center stage over the next few weeks. Now that Congress has returned from its Thanksgiving...

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This year has certainly had its fair share of turmoil in the health care arena – from the H1N1 pandemic sweeping the globe to the battle over health care reform on Capitol Hill. So, it was heartening to read this column in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal – “20 Advances to...

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For weeks, the issue of health care reform has dominated the news. But over the past couple of days, another topic has given health care reform a run for its money – and it’s a topic that some say could potentially impact the future of health care reform.By now we’ve...

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These days, it’s almost just as easy to communicate with someone in the office next door as it is with a colleague half way around the world. Globalization has made our lives easier in so many ways, but it also reminds us that we need to be cognizant of the...

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As members of the physical therapy profession, we deal daily with patients who are at risk of developing heart disease and diabetes due to obesity, elevated cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and a host of other related factors. We’re also in a unique position to counsel them on the role...

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Members of APTA’s grassroots network, PTeam, were alerted this week to a threat to our profession’s expected Medicare practice expense (PE) payment increase. Because this threat is growing day by day, we are extending this alert beyond PTeam, in the hopes that you will join our grassroots efforts to...

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National Physical Therapy Month has already started off with a bang for the profession and APTA.This week, in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, APTA rolled out a media initiative to shine the spotlight on groundbreaking research about the physical therapist's role in diagnosing, treating, and reducing both the risks...

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APTA took a small but significant step toward achieving direct access last week when the Senate Finance Committee unanimously passed an amendment by Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) that would authorize a program at a new “Innovation Center” to research the benefits of providing direct access to physical therapists for Medicare...

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As the Senate Finance Committee begins its markup of health care reform legislation today, we are anxiously awaiting word on the fate of an amendment that Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AK) offered to the committee on behalf of APTA. The amendment would eliminate the mandated physician referral or certification of the...

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Reports about H1N1 flu seem to be changing on a daily basis. First, we learned that just one dose of the new vaccine – rather than the previously reported two – would do the trick for most people and that the vaccine might be arriving a little earlier than expected....

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If you’re a physical therapist, it has happened to you. You’ve met someone in the neighborhood or in an airport or even at your clinic who doesn’t realize the wide range of services and quality of care that physical therapists provide on a daily basis. As a passionate professional it...

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I must admit when APTA launched this blog almost one year ago, I was a bit nervous about my first foray into Web 2.0. Looking back now, I realize it was mostly fear of the unknown. Sure there are potential "risks" to blogging: “What if someone disagrees with one of...

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Sen. Ted Kennedy will forever be remembered as a stalwart supporter for health care reform. But those of us within the physical therapy profession, and our patients, will also remember him as a champion for individuals with disabilities, seniors and those in need of rehabilitative services. He was also a...

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The cover story of the August 17 issue of TIME magazine makes statements that suggest exercise is not an effective health tool, particularly as it pertains to weight loss. APTA, among a number of other organizations, was dismayed to see that a publication with such a broad and well-educated readership...

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