Found this while snooping around the APTA's website

[TheOx777]

This issue has and will continue to affect the profession moving forward. This is why we need to be proactive as the future of the profession! It's pretty powerful stuff in my opinion!

http://www.apta.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Advocacy&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=78395

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Members don't see this ad.

 

[markelmarcel]

Wow. That's a powerful ad. I wish it was up EVERYWHERE. If I was in the profession I would have these hanging in my workplace!

 

[lee9786]

yeah I saw that too. Medicare is a HUGE wildcard right now as it's a failing program. Medicare reform is going to have to happen. Right now the answer in congress seems to be cutting back on reimbursement and rationing services with an arbitrary cap.

It's going to be mighty interesting to see how Medicare is reformed. I don't necessarily say that as a good thing though - for patients or providers. The underlining issue is increased costs due to demographics (more babyboomers receiving benefits) coupled with less money funding the program (sustained unemployment.) I should also throw in additional costs to train medical professionals (eg Physicians dropping Medicare patients due to the decline in the physician fee schedule so they can meet their costs)

Politicians have pressure to not cut benefits from a number of lobby groups including the APTA but probably most influential is the AARP due to their large voting base. The axe will fall eventually though, and austerity measures will most likely go into effect like we're seeing in Europe.

Hopefully this healthcare system evolves to meet the needs of this population. Possibly a transition in the payment structure from what that incentivizes quantity to one that incentivizes outcomes/quality is what we'll end up seeing. They have to figure something out. Medicare's prerecession prognosis was bankruptcy in 2017. I wonder how ten percent unemployment has affected this projection.

 

[TheOx777]

Being well versed in Health Policy issues will be extremely important for PTs moving forward. I specifically asked about this at my interviews, because I wanted to know what I was getting myself into. The faculty member who interviewed me at one program is an active member of the APTA and stated that the APTA is "at the front of the table" on these issues. It is a concern, and we should all stay abreast of what's going on in Washington. The system is broken, and it needs to be addressed pronto. When money is involved, and that's exactly what this is about, then things will always be dicey. "If their pockets get light, it's gon be a fight!"

Ultimately, I just hope PTs get their "just due". We will be spending a lot of time and MONEY acquiring an education that qualifies us as "Doctors" in our field. We have to hold up our end of the bargain as practitioners and scholars, at the same time we should be compensated fairly for doing so.

 

[markelmarcel]

Being well versed in Health Policy issues will be extremely important for PTs moving forward. I specifically asked about this at my interviews, because I wanted to know what I was getting myself into.

Every professor I asked about the health-care system now looked at me like I was a ***** when I visited Chatham. I was like, really?? I asked where they thought the profession was going, what possible outcomes could come from reform (or lack thereof), etc and they seriously gave me deer in the headlights looks... It was so weird!

 

[TheOx777]

Every professor I asked about the health-care system now looked at me like I was a ***** when I visited Chatham. I was like, really?? I asked where they thought the profession was going, what possible outcomes could come from reform (or lack thereof), etc and they seriously gave me deer in the headlights looks... It was so weird!

I wish I could say that I am SHOCKED to hear that, but I am not. Some of it stems from clinicians' truly not knowing what the health care landscape is going to look like in the next year or so, let alone long term. Moreover; I know that it is typical human nature to not care about something until it really affects you in a negative way. Some people are oblivious to healthy policy, and have little interest in ever learning anything about it, this includes MDs, DOs, PharmDs, DPTs, etc. It is extremely important for the future of all health care professions, but I am going to be a DPT so my interests lies specifically with that cohort.

 

[lee9786]

Being well versed in Health Policy issues will be extremely important for PTs moving forward. I specifically asked about this at my interviews, because I wanted to know what I was getting myself into. The faculty member who interviewed me at one program is an active member of the APTA and stated that the APTA is "at the front of the table" on these issues. It is a concern, and we should all stay abreast of what's going on in Washington. The system is broken, and it needs to be addressed pronto. When money is involved, and that's exactly what this is about, then things will always be dicey. "If their pockets get light, it's gon be a fight!"

Ultimately, I just hope PTs get their "just due". We will be spending a lot of time and MONEY acquiring an education that qualifies us as "Doctors" in our field. We have to hold up our end of the bargain as practitioners and scholars, at the same time we should be compensated fairly for doing so.

"If their pockets get light, it's gon be a fight!

I think that's we're we are headed (are?). The analogy is that everyone's piece of the reimbursement "pie" is decreasing. Everyone's fighting for more of it though. The problem for PT is that Medpac and CMS are run by Physicians (and lawyers). Trying to convince them that they aren't needed in the gatekeeping role where it will impact their power and money will be tough. Of course the AANP has made some pretty good progress. With the increased use of NPs and PAs to dilute primary care, the APTA could team up with these groups in hopes to increase political influence. Of course both PAs and NPs write orders for PT as well. They might not want to relinquish their "gatekeeper" role. Nontheless, the increased need to identify red flags would be there though.

Something does need to be done though concerning reimbursment or costs. As tuition continues to increase and reimbursement continues to decrease, there will come a point where people will say it's not worth it to pursue a PT degree. One thing the government could do is set tuition caps for crying out loud. It does not cost 35k/year to train a DPT. Someone's getting filthy rich this scheme, not just in therapy but our entire secondary education system as a whole. PTs will ask for a higher salary and point to the costs of education, so will all the other health professions.

I wonder sometimes if PT will eventually be squeezed outside of the healthcare "system" due to a decline in reimbursment and a number of other reasons. Concerns such as the DPT pricing itself too high. I wonder if this would opens up doors for PTAs. I guess their's some talk of PTAs potentially initiating their own governing body outside the APTA. They could increase their degree to the bachelors (train in pathology etc), change the name to something else, and provide the traditional PT services at lower costs in acute care/ nursing home settings. I wonder if PTs bit the bullet a little by letting their assistants many times do "everything but the evaluation and discharge." Could they influence decision makers they can also perform "Physical Therapy" at a lower cost? So many questions and so little answers. I wonder though if this could really happen given the state of things. Say provisions such as RC 15-10 pass, and hurts the PTA profession considerably. I wonder if sixty thousand or so PTAs would organize their own organization with coming to a realization that "the APTA isn't representing their best interests."What do you think?

 

[lee9786]

Every professor I asked about the health-care system now looked at me like I was a ***** when I visited Chatham. I was like, really?? I asked where they thought the profession was going, what possible outcomes could come from reform (or lack thereof), etc and they seriously gave me deer in the headlights looks... It was so weird!

Yeah no one has a clue. You'd probably get five different answers from five different professors. One things for sure, since they have a direct interest in students participating in their program, they probably won't be giving the whole story anyway. That's why forums such as SDN are so much more helpful. They don't want to tell you education and healthcare is probably in a huge bubble right now... but what isn't . At least it's hands-on and I can trade it for a chicken if I have to. lol