Obama-Care or Scare for Physical Therapists: How the Affordable Healthcare Act affects Physical Therapy Professionals

Obama-Care or Scare for Physical Therapists How the Affordable Healthcare Act affects Physical Therapy Professionals PROS CONS Subsidized programs offer significantly lower reimbursement rates. Compared to the higher rates of private insurances, subsidized programs only More people are insured through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). 9.3 million+ Americans have gained health coverage through the ACA between September 2013 and March 2014. reimburse 'around 30%. As the demand for physical The combination of reduced reimbursements and therapy rises, PTs are seeing more patients a day jam-packed schedules is forcing some outpatient clinics to decline new patients or limit the number of patients seen. Employment of physical therapists is projected to grow 36% from 2012 to 2022, much faster than the average The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) reports there could be a shortage of 41,000 physical therapists by 2020. for all occupations. Preventative and wellness treatments like physical therapy are being promoted to avoid expensive procedures like surgery. The shortage of PTs is so critical; the supply may not be able to meet the demand. Eric Dickerson, managing director at recruiter Kaye/Bassman International, reports "there are pockets within the US where there are only five therapists within a 100-mile radius." Physical therapists are aging too! The APTA reported that in The demand for PTs correlates to the aging baby boomers-contributing to the booming profession. 2010, 32% of PTs were between the ages of 50 and 64. Medicaid contains "essential health Medicare does not cover physical therapy without a referral from a benefits" (EHB) which includes rehabilitation/habilitation services. Nearly 5 million of the signups were people eligible for coverage under the Medicaid expansion. doctor first. Bills congress have sought to change that. This is largely why proper reporting is essential in order to receive reimbursements. The new Medicare Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) aims to increase performance and productivity standards and reward good reporting with a 0.5% monetary incentive in 2014. As with every new process, it takes time for it to catch on and learn but healthcare professionals report increased time spent doing paperwork with little to no compensation. Failure to submit data to measure quality-reporting standards will result in financial penalties. SOURCES http://www.apta.org/WorkforceData/ModelDescriptionFigures/ http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physical-therapists.htm http://myptsolutions.com/the-affordable-care-act-is-here-to-stay/ http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/feb/03/upward-mobility/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/moneywisewomen/2012/01/27/demand-for-therapy-jobs-critically-high-in-2012/ http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.proxy-millersville.kinpa.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?nobk-y&sid-816ed3e8-92db-43e8-af63-b61baa18eaf5@sessionmgr4005&vid-4&hid-4208 http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.proxy-millersville.kinpa.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=41751266-6eb5-43c6-9550-ed056b303a84%40sessionmgr4004&vid=2&hid-4208 http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.proxy-millersville.klnpa.org/eds/delivery?sid-f73029d9-80ef-4447-b990-9deaadcab16c%40sessionmgr4005&vid-3&hid-4208 http://www.rand.org/blog/2014/04/survey-estimates-net-gain-of-9-3-million-american-adults.html http://www.asco.org/practice-research/physician-quality-reporting-system-pgrs Allied Travel Careers helps allied professionals discover the satisfaction of a travel therapy assignment. From physical therapists to occupational therapists to speech language pathologists, we connect job-seekers to rewarding travel therapy opportunities across the country. Allied Travel careers