- \n
- Utah \u2013 Primary Care:<\/strong> APTA Utah\u2019s advocacy led to landmark legislation expanding the definition of primary care<\/em> to include PTs. The law now allows health insurers to designate physical therapists as primary care providers for neuromusculoskeletal conditions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Montana \u2013 Workers\u2019 Compensation:<\/strong> APTA Montana successfully revised the state\u2019s definition of \u201ctreating physician\u201d to explicitly include PTs, improving reimbursement and direct access under workers\u2019 compensation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"APTA](\"http:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/APTA-HQ-1024x1024.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nAt the national level, I met with APTA\u2019s Health Policy and Payment<\/strong> team, which includes branches for commercial payment policy<\/strong> and federal regulatory affairs (CMS)<\/strong>. The team works across both public and private payer systems to protect fair, sustainable payment and improve access to care. Current priorities include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- 2026 Physician Fee Schedule:<\/strong> Ongoing advocacy for a meaningful payment update, elimination of the Multiple Procedure Payment Reduction (MPPR) and 8-minute rule, and expansion of telehealth access for PTs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM):<\/strong> New 2026 CPT codes will enhance flexibility and recognition for PT-led digital care\u2014an important step toward modernizing practice.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM): <\/strong>A new mandatory CMS payment model (2026\u20132030) linking episode-based payments to quality outcomes for select surgical procedures. Replacing CJR and BPCI-A, TEAM formally includes PTs as \u201cTEAM collaborators,\u201d recognizing their role across inpatient, post-acute and outpatient care in achieving cost savings and improved outcomes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- TRICARE and CMS Issues:<\/strong> Continued work toward timely payments, accurate coding and equitable treatment of PTs and patients within federal programs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- MultiPlan Lawsuit:<\/strong> APTA has joined a major federal antitrust lawsuit<\/strong> against MultiPlan (Claritiv) and several large insurers, challenging systematic underpayment for out-of-network services\u2014a crucial fight for fair, transparent reimbursement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Every policy decision\u2014from Medicare to private payers\u2014affects how we document, treat, bill and define our professional identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a student physical therapist, this past week of engaging with these units has offered several key insights and reflections. As we continue advancing PT and PTA practice\u2014particularly as primary care providers for neuromusculoskeletal health<\/strong>\u2014we must not forget the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration<\/strong>. The strength of our profession lies not only in what we can do independently, but in how effectively we coordinate with physicians and other allied health professionals to deliver integrated, high-value care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our healthcare system faces considerable challenges, from workforce shortages to outdated payment models. Yet as these structural cracks become increasingly apparent, we should approach them with optimism: as opportunities for reform that strengthen access, efficiency, and patient outcomes. This experience has reinforced that advocacy is not separate from clinical care\u2014it shapes<\/em> it. Developing advocacy skills and understanding how to navigate health policy can, at times, have just as much impact on a patient\u2019s outcome as the therapeutic treatment itself. As PTs, student PTs and PTAs, our engagement in these efforts ensures that the value of our work is recognized, reimbursed, and accessible to all who need it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thank you for following along throughout this journey. The past six weeks have deepened my belief that advocacy is education in action\u2014and that every clinician has a role to play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Feel free to reach out<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Matthew](\"https:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/Rinehart-APTA-Headshot-683x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nMatthew Rinehart is a graduate student in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program<\/a> at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Originally from Winona, Minn., Matthew serves as the 2025 Alexa Posny Scholar<\/a>, interning with the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) at its headquarters in Alexandria, Va.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Follow along on his blog<\/a> and see additional photos on Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As my six-week internship with APTA\u2019s Government Affairs team comes to a close, one thing has become clear: advocacy in healthcare demands persistence, collaboration and adaptability. Whether through federal policy shaping the Medicare fee schedule or state laws redefining PT scope, every victory reflects teamwork and tireless coordination between APTA staff, members and policymakers. With […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":13825,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,510,606,12,15,609,23],"tags":[305,341,342,343,344],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13824"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13824"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13824\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13828,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13824\/revisions\/13828"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13825"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM):<\/strong> New 2026 CPT codes will enhance flexibility and recognition for PT-led digital care\u2014an important step toward modernizing practice.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Montana \u2013 Workers\u2019 Compensation:<\/strong> APTA Montana successfully revised the state\u2019s definition of \u201ctreating physician\u201d to explicitly include PTs, improving reimbursement and direct access under workers\u2019 compensation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n