National therapy associations issue joint statement on PDGM

The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), and American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) are aware of the potential for clinicians and assistants to be negatively impacted by the reactions of some home health agencies when implementing Medicare’s Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) on January 1, 2020. Unnecessary staffing changes could affect the clinicians’ practice patterns and their ability to exercise clinical judgment, as well as patients’ access to care—ultimately damaging the quality of therapy provided by home health agencies. Our organizations continue ongoing dialogue with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS and home health agencies to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries continue receiving the skilled therapy they need. AOTA, APTA, and ASHA are committed to advocating on behalf of our professions and the people they treat.

PDGM information and resources from AOTA, CMS, and others will be updated frequently.

How have you been impacted by PDGM? AOTA staff has been working to advocate for occupational therapy practitioners and their clients by sharing their experiences with officials at CMS. Email regulatory@aota.org to let us know how PDGM is affecting you and your patients.