I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7618 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to include physical therapists 

and occupational therapists as health professionals for purposes of the 

annual wellness visit under the Medicare program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 11, 2024 

Mrs. MILLER of West Virginia (for herself and Ms. STANSBURY) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 

Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for 

a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 

consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to include 

physical therapists and occupational therapists as health 

professionals for purposes of the annual wellness visit 

under the Medicare program, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stopping Addiction 

5 and Falls for the Elderly Act’’ or the ‘‘SAFE Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PHYSICAL THERAPY AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY 

2 BENEFIT IN THE MEDICARE ANNUAL 

3 WELLNESS VISIT AND INITIAL PREVENTIVE 

4 PHYSICAL EXAM. 

5 (a) ANNUAL WELLNESS VISIT.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1861(hhh) of the 

7 Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(hhh)) is 

8 amended— 

9 (A) in paragraph (1)— 

10 (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘; 

11 and’’ and inserting a semicolon; 

12 (ii) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by strik13 ing the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; 

14 and’’; and 

15 (iii) by adding at the end the fol16 lowing new subparagraph: 

17 ‘‘(C) that, in the case of an individual who 

18 has been determined by a physician to have fall19 en in the previous calendar year, includes a falls 

20 risk assessment and fall prevention services.’’; 

21 and 

22 (B) in paragraph (3)— 

23 (i) in subparagraph (B), by striking 

24 ‘‘or’’ at the end; 


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1 (ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking 

2 the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; 

3 and 

4 (iii) by adding at the end the fol5 lowing new subparagraph: 

6 ‘‘(D) in the case of an individual described 

7 in paragraph (1)(C), a physical therapist or an 

8 occupational therapist furnishing a separate 

9 falls risk assessment and fall prevention serv10 ices.’’. 

11 (2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made 

12 by paragraph (1) shall apply to annual wellness vis13 its furnished on or after January 1, 2025. 

14 (b) INITIAL PREVENTIVE PHYSICAL EXAMINA15 TION.— 

16 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1861(ww)(2) of the 

17 Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(ww)(2)) is 

18 amended— 

19 (A) in subparagraph (N), by moving the 

20 margins of such subparagraph 2 ems to the 

21 left; 

22 (B) by redesignating subparagraph (O) as 

23 subparagraph (P); and 

24 (C) by inserting after subparagraph (N) 

25 the following new subparagraph: 


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1 ‘‘(O) In the case of an individual that has 

2 been determined by a physician to have experi3 enced a fall in the previous calendar year, out4 patient occupational therapy services (as de5 fined in subsection (g)) and outpatient physical 

6 therapy services (as defined in subsection 

7 (p)).’’. 

8 (2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made 

9 by paragraph (1) shall apply to initial preventive 

10 physical examinations furnished on or after January 

11 1, 2025. 

12 SEC. 3. REPORTS TO CONGRESS. 

13 Beginning January 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, 

14 the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit 

15 to Congress a report on the number of falls (as reported 

16 by the Centers for Disease Control) experienced by indi17 viduals aged 65 and older that received treatment for pain 

18 or injury related to a fall or falls experienced in the pre19 vious calendar year. With respect to each subsequent re20 port, such Secretary shall include the data reported in pre21 vious years and describe any changes from year to year. 

Æ 


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