Advocacy Week: Repeal the Medicare Therapy Caps Now!

We’ve dealt with the Medicare Therapy cap for the past 20 years and this is the year for us to put a stop to it! The arbitrary cap places an arbitrary limit of $1960 on the amount of outpatient occupational therapy a Medicare can receive each year, regardless of medical necessity or therapeutic need. Despite having an “exceptions process” in place, the cap creates extra costs and potentially harms clients who would benefit from occupational therapy services.
 
We currently have bipartisan support in the “Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act of 2017 (H.R. 807/S. 253)” which would permanently repeal the therapy cap.  Sponsors and co-sponsors include Representatives Erik Paulsen (R-MN), Ron Kind (D-WI), Marsha Blackburn, (R-TN), and Doris Matsui (D-CA), and Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD), Dean Heller (R-NV), and Susan Collins (R-ME).
 
According to AOTA, “In April 2015, Congress passed the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), which fixed other flawed Medicare policies, but failed to pass a permanent fix to the therapy cap. Despite strong bipartisan support for a permanent solution, Congress ultimately approved a two-tiered "exceptions process" through December 31, 2017” (AOTA, 2017: Online at http://capwiz.com/aota/issues/alert/?alertid=74944626).

You can find talking points on repeal of the therapy caps at this link:   https://www.aota.org/~/media/Corporate/Files/Advocacy/Federal/Tips-and-Tools/Therapy-Cap-Talking-Points-8-2-17.pdf
  
Visit the AOTA Legislative Action Center at www.aota.org/takeaction to find contact information for your Representatives and Senators and Email them today! You can find editable text following this link: http://capwiz.com/aota/issues/alert/?alertid=74944626. By entering your home address, Email and phone number you can send an Email in less than 5 minutes!
 
Join me by speaking out and asking to end the therapy caps now! I contacted my Congresspersons, now its your turn!