An Occupational Therapy Assistant’s Perspective on Medicare Cuts
Eight months into the year, physical and occupational therapy practices around the country are feeling the impact of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) 15% Medicare payment cut on the services provided by physical and occupational therapy assistants (PTAs and OTAs).
As practices struggle to adapt their operations and staffing under these cuts, Medicare patients are seeing delays in care.
We spoke with Marcela Esteves, an OTA at CORA Physical Therapy in Lauderhill, FL, to hear her perspective on the importance of her profession and the risks these cuts pose to older Americans:
How important are PTAs/OTAs to physical and occupational therapy practices? What role do they play?
How is the 15% Medicare cut to PTA and OTA services hurting your practice?
If people can’t access physical or occupational therapy, what alternative care options do these patients have? What risks are they facing?
How would the SMART Act help occupational and physical therapy practices?
We must work together to prevent any further damage to seniors’ access to care by stopping these Medicare cuts.