APTQI Applauds MPFS Final Rule for Expanding General Supervision for Therapy Assistants and Reducing Administrative Burdens

While CMS’ decision to finalize a -2.8% cut for 2025 continues to worry providers, APTQI commends several provisions in the final rule to reduce administrative burden, streamline patient care, and expand beneficiary access

Washington, D.C. –– While APTQI remains concerned that the -2.8% cut included in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule (MPFS) for Calendar Year 2025 will disrupt the nation’s healthcare system, the organization welcomed several long called for provisions for physical and occupational therapists that will help expand patients’ access to care.

Specifically, APTQI commended the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for expanding general supervision for physical therapy assistants (PTAs) and occupational therapy assistants (OTAs) for all physical and occupational therapy services delivered in private practices. APTQI strongly supports this provision, which will empower PTAs and OTAs to perform vital services for more older Americans. Before today’s final rule, PTAs and OTAs were only permitted to operate under general supervision of physical and occupational therapists when providing Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM).

APTQI also praised CMS for finalizing a provision that provides an exception to the physician/nonphysician practitioner (NPP) signature requirement on the therapist-established plan of care for purposes of the initial certification. This provision applies to cases in which a written order or referral from the patient’s physician/NPP is on file and the therapist has documented evidence that the treatment plan was transmitted to the physician/NPP within 30 days of the initial evaluation. Ultimately, this now-finalized provision will help to reduce administrative burdens faced by physical and occupational therapists and streamline patient access to care.

APTQI has long advocated for these two policies and is pleased that CMS included them in the MPFS Final Rule for CY 2025.  

“The MPFS rule finalized today is a major step forward not only for our profession, but more importantly, for patients who need physical and occupational therapy services to recover from a serious injury or illness,” said Nikesh Patel, PT, Executive Director of APTQI. “APTQI is pleased CMS considered our recommendations and decided to finalize these important provisions that will help expand patient access to care and reduce administrative processes that impede on patient care. By expanding general supervision for PTAs and OTAs, we can enable therapist to see more patients, particularly in rural and underserved areas where workforce shortages are especially pronounced.”

The final rule also cuts -2.8% from the physician payment rate for 2025, further threatening the sustainability of physical and occupational therapy practices. Ultimately, APTQI remains concerned that successive cuts will cause even more disruption for the thousands of community practices dedicated to helping older Americans prevent dangerous and debilitating falls, regain strength and mobility after a serious illness or injury, and improve their overall quality of life.

“While we are pleased with the plan of care and general supervision aspects of the final rule, APTQI remains profoundly concerned with payment instability and the uncertainties it creates for physicians and therapy providers,” continued Patel. 

APTQI looks forward to working with bipartisan leaders in Congress to address these serious cuts before they go into effect in 2025.

# # #