Medicare Mania
What current requirement does the bill seek to eliminate?
Requiring PT, SLP, or nursing to begin OT home health care treatments
Who is Alyson Stover, MOT, JD, OTR/L, BCP?
The President of AOTA
How can OT save Medicare money?
Preventing falls, ER visits, and hospitalizations
What does the AOTA recommend members do to support this bill?
Write their representatives and ask them to co-sponsor the bill.
True or False: This bill would increase medical expenditure.
False: OT home health services has been proven to decrease health spending due to increased safety and decreased hospitalizations
True or False: OTs can initiate home health services.
False
What’s one reason a legislator might choose to co-sponsor a bill?
It aligns with their constituents’ needs or improves public health outcomes.
True or False: OT can already qualify a person for Medicare home health under certain circumstances.
True (on a continuing need basis after other services are discharged)
What is the purpose of the Legislative Action Center by AOTA?
To help members contact their legislators and advocate for OT-related bills.
How could this bill impact rural populations?
By providing greater access to healthcare providers in areas where they are limited.
What is the bill number?
H.R.7148
Name one of the bill’s bipartisan sponsors.
Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), John Joyce, MD (R-PA), or Paul Tonko (D-NY)
What is one condition where OT could help someone remain at home safely?
Low vision, dementia, COPD, diabetes, etc.
What organization represents occupational therapy practitioners in the U.S.?
AOTA
What important living trend among seniors does this bill support?
Aging in place
What type of medicare does this bill impact, Part A or Part B?
Part A Home Health Benefit
What makes these representatives effective advocates for this bill?
They sit on key Congressional committees and understand the impact of OT.
What year was OT originally made a qualifying Part A service before it was removed?
1980
Why are personal stories powerful in advocacy?
They make the policy impact real and relatable to lawmakers.
How does OT advocacy promote health equity?
By increasing access to services for underrepresented or rural populations.
What year did Medicare drop OT as a stand-alone home health service?
What is 1981
Name one organization that supports this bill?
AOTA, NAHC, ADVION, NARA, NRHA
What makes OT unique among other home health services?
It focuses on function, safety, and adaptation within the client’s actual environment.
How can occupational therapy practitioners influence policy change?
By contacting legislators, joining AOTA campaigns, and sharing patient stories.
Name one intervention an OT might do during a home safety evaluation.
Remove trip hazards, recommend grab bars, rearrange furniture, etc.