APTQI Commends Continued Momentum on the SAFE Act in U. S. House, Calls for Introduction in the U.S. Senate
The Stopping Addiction and Falls for the Elderly (SAFE) Act (H.R. 7618) continues to gain support in the U.S. House, momentum applauded by the Alliance for Physical Therapy Quality and Innovation (APTQI). The bipartisan legislation, which was introduced in March by Representatives Carol Miller (R-WV) and Melanie Stansbury (D-NM), has continued to secure co-sponsors from 15 different states and Washington, D.C.
Falls among older Americans are a serious and escalating health concern. These falls can lead to prolonged pain, broken bones, hospitalizations, and even death. They also increase the financial strain on the healthcare system, and annual costs associated with falling are projected to rise to $100 billion a year by 2030, according to the CDC. As the number of falls nationwide increases every year, with an estimated 52 million falls expected in 2030, access to preventative care services and falls risk assessments provided by physical and occupational therapists is essential.
If passed, the SAFE Act would allow Medicare beneficiaries to receive a no-cost falls risk assessment from a physical or occupational therapist as part of their annual wellness benefit. The SAFE Act aims to ensure older Americans have access to falls risk assessments from falls experts. With 87% of older Americans in support of the SAFE Act, according to a recent survey of older Americans from Morning Consult, there is no question that legislators across the country should support—and work to swiftly pass—the SAFE Act.
“As part of our mission to improve patient access to physical and occupational therapy, APTQI thanks all cosponsors of the SAFE Act in the U. S. House and strongly encourages prompt introduction in the U.S. Senate. This patient-centered legislation will allow our older population to access essential preventative care services with no out-of-pocket costs, while enabling improved wellbeing and quality of life,” said Nikesh Patel, PT, Executive Director of APTQI. “The growing support for this legislation demonstrates that it is time for Congress to act.”
APTQI expressed appreciation to the SAFE Act’s bipartisan cosponsors representing patients and physical therapists across the country, including: Representatives Darren Soto (D-FL-09), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-05), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY-11), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-06), Buddy Carter (R-GA-01), Donald Davis (D-NC-01), Joe Neguse (D-CO-02), David Trone (D-MD-06), Jill Tokuda (D-HI-02), Colin Allred (D-TX-32), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), Mike Rogers (R-AL-03), Nick LaLota (R-NY-01), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE-At Large), Beth Van Duyne (R-TX-24), Terri Sewell (D-AL-07), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL-12), Mike Quigley (D-IL-05), Yadira Caraveo (D-CO-8), Mike Kelly (R-PA-16), and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC-At Large).
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