APTQI Thanks All Lawmakers & Staff Who Visited Physical Therapy Clinics in 2024!
Thank you to all lawmakers and local staff who participated in APTQI’s 2024 Facility Tour Program. Welcoming bipartisan, bicameral lawmakers and staff from across the country, these tours served as powerful tools to educate elected officials on issues impacting physical therapy and how Congress can help improve patient access to care. This year, APTQI hosted 29 tours across 15 states facilitating important conversations with Congressional staff and 8 members of Congress.
During the tours, APTQI members advocated for a number of our priorities including the Stopping Addiction and Falls for the Elderly (SAFE) Act (H.R. 7618). The SAFE Act recognizes the essential role physical and occupational therapists play in preventing falls for older Americans and aims to allow Medicare beneficiaries to access falls risk assessments from a falls expert as part of their Annual Wellness Benefit with no out-of-pocket cost. By supporting the SAFE Act, lawmakers can help to ensure our nation’s older population is protected against life-threatening falls and addictive pain medications to stay healthy and independent.
These visits resulted in direct engagement with lawmakers and the publication of many opinion editorials, letters to the editor, and news stories nationwide. We are proud to share that our tours and other advocacy measures throughout the year helped to grow the number of cosponsors of the SAFE Act and start important legislative conversations in both the Senate and House of Representatives.
“Through our 2024 Facility Tour Program, APTQI members successfully showcased the critical role physical therapy plays in enhancing patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. These tours provided a unique opportunity for lawmakers to witness firsthand how our practices transform lives and strengthen communities,” said Nikesh Patel, PT, Executive Director of APTQI. “We are grateful to everyone who participated in the hosting and planning of these visits and to the legislators who took the time to engage in meaningful discussions about issues impacting our providers and patients. Together, we’re building momentum to ensure better access to care for all patients.”
APTQI greatly appreciates the participation of our members who made these tours possible including: Ability Rehabilitation, All Star Physical Therapy, Alliance Physical Therapy Partners, ATI Physical Therapy, Back at Work Physical Therapy, Benchmark Physical Therapy, Confluent Health, CORA Physical Therapy, Drayer Physical Therapy Institute, Health & Rehab Solutions, Ivy Rehab Network, First Settlement Physical Therapy, Panther Physical Therapy, Peak Physical Therapy & Sports Rehab, Physical Therapy in Motion, PTA Physical Therapy, Redbud Physical Therapy, Silver Creek Physical Therapy, STAR Physical Therapy, Team Rehabilitation Physical Therapy, The Jackson Clinics, Therapy Partners Group, Upstream Rehabilitation, U.S. Physical Therapy, and Wright Physical Therapy.
With your participation we were able to host visits with Representatives Mike Carey (OH-15), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Kevin Hern (OK-01), Mike Kelly (PA-16), David Kustoff (TN-08), Blake Moore (UT-01), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), and Darren Soto (FL-09) as well as staff members from the offices of Senators Marsha Blackburn (TN), Sherrod Brown (OH), Mike Crapo (ID), Steve Daines (MT), Bill Hagerty (TN), Joe Manchin (WV), and Mark Warner (VA), and Representatives Don Beyer (VA-08), Vern Buchanan (FL-16), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Drew Ferguson (GA-03), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Greg Steube (FL-17), and Lori Trahan (MA-03).
We are looking forward to continuing our work educating lawmakers and advocating for issues impacting physical therapy patients and our profession in 2025!
Representative Mike Carey met with physical therapists from Drayer Physical Therapy Institute (an Upstream partner) in Grove City, OH
Representative Vern Buchanan’s staff visited CORA Physical Therapy in Valrico, FL