APTQI Members Host Lawmakers Home for August Recess, Gain SAFE Act Support

With lawmakers back in their home states during the month of August, APTQI continued the 2024 Facility Tour Program and hosted Members of Congress and their staff at local physical and occupational therapy clinics to learn more about the important services they offer in their communities.

During the tours, APTQI members engaged with lawmakers about the issues impacting our profession and advocated for legislative action – including the importance of supporting the Stopping Addiction and Falls for the Elderly (SAFE) Act (H.R. 7618). The SAFE Act aims to expand access to essential preventative care services by allowing Medicare beneficiaries to receive a no-cost fall risk assessment from a physical or occupational therapist as part of their Annual Wellness Visit. Through our support of the SAFE Act, APTQI is working to expand access to the preventative care older adults need to maintain their independence, health, and lifestyle.

Thank you to Representatives Mike Kelly (PA-16), David Kustoff (TN-08), Blake Moore (UT-01), Kevin Hern (OK-01), and Drew Ferguson (GA-03) for visiting physical and occupational therapy clinics and discussing the value of community-based physical therapy with their constituents.

We also greatly appreciate the engagement and support from our partners at Panther Physical Therapy in Harmony, PA, Back at Work Physical Therapy in Pleasant View, UT, Redbud Physical Therapy in Tulsa, OK, Benchmark Physical Therapy in Newnan, GA, and STAR Physical Therapy in Dyersburg, TN who hosted lawmaker tours in August!

Across the country, falls are the number one cause of injuries and injury-related deaths for older adults. APTQI understands the importance of taking action to prevent life-altering falls, and we will continue to advocate for the SAFE Act through additional lawmaker meetings this year.