The Importance of Therapy Assistants and the Dangers of Medicare Cuts: An Interview with PTA Alex Balan
Physical therapy can help patients rehabilitate and regain bodily function, manage pain, prevent injury, and improve mobility, flexibility, and balance – and physical therapy assistants play a key role in ensuring patients are able to receive this care. As ‘boots on the ground’ providers, PTAs delivery care under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist who sets a patient’s care plan.
When the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) imposed a 15% Medicare payment cut on the services provided by PTAs in January, the physical therapy community warned these cuts would have a severe impact on the profession and the patients we serve.
We recently spoke with Alex Balan, a PTA and the Southwest Florida Regional Manager for CORA Physical Therapy, about the role of PTAs and the real effects of these cuts.
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?
How would the SMART Act help practices like yours?
We must work together to prevent any further damage to seniors’ access to care by stopping these Medicare cuts.