Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act of 2019

Bill: 116-hr-5453
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Lujan, Ben Ray [D-NM-3]
Introduced: 2019-12-17
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Contracts and agency

Health care coverage and access

Health personnel

Home and outpatient care

Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care

Medicare
Latest action: action_date: 2019-12-18
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Summaries:
action_date: 2019-12-17
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act of 2019</b></p> <p>This bill allows a physical therapist to receive payment under Medicare for services provided to the physical therapist's patients by another physical therapist through a qualifying temporary arrangement, regardless of the geographic area or population served. Currently, physical therapists may only receive payment with respect to such arrangements for services provided in medically underserved, rural, or health professional shortage areas.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5453 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES December 17, 2019 Mr. Luján (for himself and Mr. Bilirakis ) 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 add physical therapists to the list of providers allowed to utilize locum tenens arrangements under Medicare.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act of 2019 . 2. Allowing physical therapists to utilize locum tenens arrangements under Medicare (a) In general The first sentence of section 1842(b)(6) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395u(b)(6) ) is amended by striking , and (J) and all that follows through physicians’ services furnished by physicians. and inserting , and (J) in the case of outpatient physical therapy services furnished by physical therapists, subparagraph (D) of this sentence shall apply to such services and therapists in the same manner as such subparagraph applies to physicians’ services furnished by physicians. . (b) Effective date The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply to items and services furnished after the date of the enactment of this Act.