In the past, I have written about how the anti-POPTS (physician owned physical therapy services) movement in California utilized technology and social media to educate the masses regarding referral for profit. Vist the Stop POPTS YouTube Channel and stopPOPTS.org for more information.
Recently, a direct access to physical therapy services bill (Senate Bill-924) emerged in the California legislature. Great news!! Well, not so fast. Watch this short 16 second video in which the Assembly Appropriations Committee announces the amendments…
SB924 direct access to physical therapy services. Do pass as amended to require a diagnosis after initial 30 day period in order to continue to treatment. To amend consumer disclosure language and other technical amendments.
Read the entire text of SB-924: Physical therapists: direct access to services: professional corporations. For more legislative information you can visit Official California Legislative Information Webpage. The wording from the actual bill:
The bill would prohibit a physical therapist from treating a patient beyond 30 business days or 12 visits, whichever occurs first, unless the physical therapist receives a specified authorization from a person with a physician and surgeon’s certificate or from a person with a podiatric medicine certificate and acting within his or her scope of practice. The bill would require a physical therapist, prior to the initiation of treatment services, to provide a patient with a specified notice concerning the limitations on the direct treatment services.
Did I mention that this bill would also legalize physician owned physical therapy services?
This bill would add licensed physical therapists and licensed occupational therapists to the list of healing arts practitioners who may be shareholders, officers, directors, or professional employees of those corporations. The bill would also provide that specified healing arts licensees may be shareholders, officers, directors, or professional employees of a physical therapy corporation.
If you live in California, tell the following that back room deals are not OK. Utilize this letter template to write legislators and the governor. Patients deserve better. Seniors deserve better. Their consituents deserve better. California deseveres better. The national deserves better.
Minority Floor Leader Connie Conway @AssemblyConway Phone: (916) 319-2034 Fax: (916) 319-2134
Caucus Chair Jerry Hill P: (916) 319-2019 F: (916) 319-2119
Assistant Majority Whip Rober Hernandez @Roger_Hernandez P: (916) 319-2057 F: (916) 319-2157
Majority Whip Toni Atkins @toniatkins P: (916) 319-2076 F: (916) 319-2176
Asstistant Assembly Floor Leader Mike Allen P: (916) 319-2007 Fax: (916) 319-2107
Floor Leader Charles Calderon P: (916) 319-2058 F: (916) 319-2158
Speaker pro Tempore Fiona Ma @fionama P: (916) 319-2012 F: (916) 319-2112
President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg P: (916) 651-4006 F: (916) 323-2263
Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes P: (916) 319-2039 F: (916) 319-2139
Assemblyman Mike Gatto @mikegatto P: (916) 319-2043 F: (916) 319-2143
And last, but certainly not least, Speaker of the California State Assembly John A Perez @SpeakerPerez P: (916) 319-2046 F: (916) 319-2146
Follow the #SB924 hastag as well as the following physical therapists on twitter: @ChrisReed1 @Jerry_DurhamPT and @RobertSnowDPT. California based physical therapy program University of the Pacific (moderated by Todd Davenport) @PacificDPTweet and @PittPT Pittsburg Physical Therapy student @MattDeBole. Tweet at @APTAadvocacy and The California Physical Therapy Association @CPTAtweets.
Who else may be interested?
Resources
Letter to CA Legislators Template (Google Document)
Pitt Physical Therapy Student Site: The Monday Memo
Senate Bill 924
SB-924: Physical therapists: direct access to services: professional corporations
Bill Text with Strike Through Amendments (PDF)
Stop POPTS
When a Bad Bill gets WORSE
Back Room Dealings by Mary Hayashi & John Perez
Senate Bill 924 Amended by Democrats, would legalize physician kick backs…
Thanks for the post…. a plain and simple Hijacking of the system for money. The Democrats of all people denying ACCESS to Healthcare?! Ummmmm…Havent they heard of the AffordHealthCare Act….
I’ve been practicing for about 5 years and during this time i’ve seen an enormous number of poorly diagnosed patients by GP MDs. Their diagnosing skills, of at least, musculoskeletal issues are no where near the average PT’s.
I’m not surprised that MDs are threatened by this bill because they know exactly what patients will want to do, and that’s why they’re trying to buy themselves out of it.
Meanwhile, in the UK….http://www.csp.org.uk/news/2012/07/23/landmark-decision-gives-uk-physios-world-first-prescribing-rights
Great Article Kyle with great resources. Thanks for the work.