The 119th Congress is poised to pick up two bills that will benefit the physical therapy profession and patients. APTA championed both in the previous session of Congress and will continue advocating for their passage.

First is legislation that would make permanent the pandemic-era provisions enabling PTs and PTAs to treat Medicare patients via telehealth. If passed into law, the change would represent a milestone achievement for APTA, whose advocacy for PTs and PTAs to be included in telehealth allowances predates the COVID-19 pandemic, when temporary waivers were introduced.

Since the end of the federal public health emergency in 2023, Congress twice has extended the temporary waivers, with expiration now scheduled for Sept. 30. H.R. 1614 would eliminate the need for continued extensions, instructing the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to permanently adopt the temporary waiver of restrictions on payment for telehealth delivered by PTs and PTAs, among other providers. The House of Representatives bill is sponsored by Reps. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., Mike Thompson, R-Calif., and Adrian Smith, R-Neb.

APTA President Kyle Covington, PT, DPT, PhD, applauded the bill on behalf of the association. "The use of telehealth during the pandemic helped ensure patient access to physical therapist services and provided an option for therapy clinics and their patients," he said.

Second, the States Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment Act, or SHARE Act, has been reintroduced in both the House and Senate. H.R. 2332 is sponsored by Reps. Tracey Mann, R-Kan., and Joe Neguse, D-Colo. Sens. Peter Welch, D-Vt., Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Angus King, I-Maine, introduced the same bill in the Senate as S. 1101. The bill aims to ensure that the FBI expeditiously processes required federal background checks for states and providers to obtain privileges in the PT Compact. Delays in delivering background check results to state licensing boards impede the ability of PTs and PTAs to participate.  

The PT Compact allows eligible PTs and PTAs to practice in states in addition to the ones where they are initially licensed. If enacted into law, the bill would better enable PTs and PTAs to provide their services in multiple states without having to complete the time-consuming and costly effort to become licensed in every jurisdiction.

In the previous Congress, this APTA-endorsed legislation was supported by almost 60 health care provider associations and major hospitals.