This is made available for physical therapists following the conversation about proposed coding changes for therapy and is an open response from APTQI to the APTA regarding the Alternative Payment Systems currently in development.
Alliance for Physical Therapy Quality and Innovation APTQI Members:
The Alliance wanted to share with you their collective response (files attached) regarding the discussion and debate surrounding the alternative APS coding system endorsed by the APTA and currently under review at the AMA CPT Editorial Panel/RUC level committee process. Also attached are past APTQI comment letters sent to AMA, APTA (confidential portions redacted) and CMS. Please feel free to distribute to your colleagues in the profession. Additionally, we have included some background information on the APTQI. As you may already know, the APTQI is comprised of some of the nation’s leading providers of outpatient rehabilitation care, and collectively employ or represent several thousand physical and occupational therapists, and furnish physical therapy services on an annual basis to hundreds of thousands of patients. APTQI membership categories consist of Board and Affiliate Members, representing a diverse mix of small, medium, and large multi-state physical therapy providers. The following is a brief description of each of Alliance Board Members, which in aggregate currently operate and represent over 3,000 outpatient rehabilitation clinics:
- Athletico Physical Therapy currently operates approximately 350 outpatient rehabilitation clinics in 8 states;
- ATI Physical Therapy currently operates approximately 450 outpatient rehabilitation clinics in 16 states;
- Drayer Physical Therapy Institute currently operates approximately 125 outpatient rehabilitation clinics in 16 states;
- Physiotherapy Associates currently operates approximately 575 outpatient rehabilitation clinics in 34 states;
- Select Medical currently operates approximately 1023 outpatient rehabilitation and/or occupational therapy clinics in 33 states and the District of Columbia;
- Upstream Rehabilitation currently operates approximately 305 outpatient rehabilitation and/or occupational therapy clinics in 22 states; and
- U.S. Physical Therapy currently operates approximately 494 outpatient rehabilitation and/or occupational therapy clinics in 42 states.
We look forward to our future collective efforts in developing and supporting a proposed alternative coding and payment system for therapy services that is truly value driven and based on the triple aim of healthcare reform: improving patient experiences (satisfaction, quality and outcome); decreasing cost; and improving population health!
More information can be found at the links below. To follow the conversation on twitter use #solvePT
- APTQI Summary on APS
- APTQI Letter to AMA January 2014
- APTQI Letter to CMS September 2014
- APTQI Letter to AMA January 2015
- APTQI Letter to APTA April 2015