SAFE Act
The SAFE Act would expand Medicare Part B coverage to allow physical therapists (PTs) and occupational therapists (OTs) to provide falls risk assessment and fall-prevention services as part of two preventive Medicare benefits: the annual wellness visit and the initial preventive physical examination (IPPE). Specifically, if a patient has fallen in the previous year, a PT or OT could furnish a separate falls risk assessment and related prevention services during the annual wellness visit, and outpatient PT/OT services could be included in the IPPE for those who have fallen. The bill also requires, beginning in 2027, annual reporting to Congress on the number of falls among seniors (65+) who received treatment for fall-related pain or injuries, with year-over-year comparisons. Effective dates set the changes to apply to annual wellness visits and IPPEs furnished on or after January 1, 2026. The act is titled the Stopping Addiction and Falls for the Elderly Act (SAFE Act), signaling its focus on falls prevention among older adults and, in name, addiction concerns.
Key Points
- 1Expands who can deliver falls risk assessment and fall-prevention services to include physical therapists and occupational therapists during the Medicare annual wellness visit when the patient has fallen in the prior year.
- 2Adds a new falls risk assessment and fall-prevention service (delivered by PTs/OTs) as a separate component of the annual wellness visit for eligible individuals.
- 3Modifies the IPPE to include outpatient physical therapy and outpatient occupational therapy services for individuals who have fallen in the previous calendar year.
- 4Effective date: these changes apply to annual wellness visits and IPPEs furnished on or after January 1, 2026.
- 5Requires annual reporting to Congress beginning January 1, 2027, outlining the number of falls among Americans aged 65+ who received treatment for fall-related pain or injuries, with year-to-year comparisons.