[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 27 (Thursday, February 13, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E255-E256]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     INTRODUCTION OF THE PATIENT ACCESS TO PHYSICAL THERAPISTS ACT

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                          HON. PHILIP M. CRANE

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 13, 2003

  Mr. CRANE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today with my friend and 
colleague, Mr. Pomeroy, to reintroduce the Patient Access to Physical 
Therapists Act. This bill will allow Medicare beneficiaries direct 
access to qualified physical therapists without a physician referral.
  Currently, Medicare beneficiaries must see a physician before being 
allowed to see a physical therapist. This burdensome requirement in 
Medicare is a regulation whose time has passed. The referral mandate is 
unnecessary and limits access to timely and medically necessary 
physical therapists' services. I believe that providing Medicare 
beneficiaries with direct access to physical therapists is critical as 
Congress looks to modernize the Medicare program.
  All health care consumers should have the ability to choose the 
health care services they want when they need it. Allowing Medicare 
beneficiaries to have direct access to physical therapists will help 
achieve that goal. Currently, 47 states and the District of Columbia 
allow direct access to physical therapist evaluation and 35 states, 
including the state of Illinois allow their citizens to access physical 
therapists' services without the added cost of a physician referral. 
The Medicare Patient Access to Physical Therapists Act would allow 
Medicare beneficiaries in these states to access care that is already 
available to other residents of the state.
  Direct access to physical therapists allows for improved access to 
quality health care services. A study of BlueCross BlueShield insurance 
claims in Maryland indicates that when a patient has direct access to 
physical therapists, services are neither over-utilized nor do they 
result in higher costs for physical therapy. To the contrary, the study 
found that

[[Page E256]]

the costs incurred for episodes of physical therapy care were 123 
percent lower when patients went to a physical therapist directly. 
State boards that regulate physical therapy confirm that patient safety 
is not compromised by the elimination of the referral requirement. With 
this in mind, the policy of improved access to physical therapists is 
healthy to the Medicare program and its beneficiaries. It is clear that 
improved access to physical therapists will maintain this critical 
balance of patient safety, cost to Medicare program, and improved 
beneficiary service. Medicare beneficiaries should have the same access 
to physical therapists as the rest of patients in Illinois and 35 other 
states.
  Providing better access to qualified physical therapists will help 
ensure patients receive quality health care for all Americans. Mr. 
Speaker, I ask my colleagues for their consideration and support of the 
Patient Access to Physical Therapists Act.

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