WASHINGTON – Congressman Troy Balderson (R-OH) and Congresswoman Cindy Axne (D-IA) are introducing bipartisan legislation to expand telehealth access through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to include services by physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, clinical social workers, and audiologists. This bill would temporarily enable these types of care providers to treat patients virtually, of critical importance in Ohio as citizens practice social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Just because Ohioans are staying at home doesn’t mean they don’t need continued care,” said Balderson. “The challenges posed by this pandemic require innovative solutions and accommodations. This legislation will help connect Ohioans—especially those living in rural areas or at high risk for COVID-19—to essential treatments while also supporting our state’s ongoing efforts to reduce the virus’ spread.”
“During this coronavirus pandemic, Iowans who need physical or occupational therapy should not be forced to get face-to-face care in order to keep themselves on track. This legislation will make sure that patients with ALS and other illnesses have the same access to therapies in their home that we’ve granted for other medical services,” said Axne. “I know how helpful speech therapy and audiology services can be for our children and seniors – and how hard the setback of even just a few missed classes or sessions can be. Additionally, our social workers serve an important role in protecting our most vulnerable and we can better protect our community by authorizing telework for clinical social workers. With expanded telehealth capabilities, we can ensure Iowans aren’t forced to choose between taking the precautions of staying home and getting the care they need.”
“Ensuring physical therapists have the option to utilize telehealth for Medicare beneficiaries during the national emergency will help keep patients safe, and provide flexibility in the delivery of health care,” said Justin Elliott, Vice President of Government Affairs of the American Physical Therapy Association. “We are grateful to Congressman Balderson for his work on this legislation that is critical to the patients we serve.”
“APTQI applauds Representatives Axne and Balderson for being champions for our Medicare patients who are having difficulty in accessing care during the COVID-19 crisis,” said Nikesh Patel, Executive Director of the Alliance for Physical Therapy Quality and Innovation. “Passage of this bill would allow Medicare patients to access therapy services from the safety of their own home and limit their chance of exposure.”
“We are thrilled that Reps. Axne, Balderson and Hill have introduced this bill given the importance of enabling occupational therapy practitioners to provide remote services through telehealth to Medicare beneficiaries during the COVID-19 crisis,” said Sherry Keramidas, Executive Director of the American Occupational Therapy Association. “The ability of occupational therapy practitioners to provide services to our most vulnerable populations has never been more important than during the current COVID-19 pandemic, yet Medicare does not allow occupational therapy services to be provided by therapists via telehealth. Access to telehealth services through Medicare will help occupational therapy practitioners to continue essential therapy services despite closures and other service disruptions.”
This legislation will be introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives next week. Including those quoted above, this bill is endorsed by 20 organizations, such as the American Hospital Association, American Academy of Audiology, Academy of Doctors of Audiology, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, National Council on Aging, National Association of Social Workers, ALS Foundation, OrthoForum, and others.
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