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S 2225119th CongressIn Committee
Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act of 2025
Introduced: Jul 9, 2025
Sponsor: Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM] (D-New Mexico)
Healthcare
Standard Summary
Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs
The Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act of 2025 would amend the Medicare law (title XVIII of the Social Security Act) to extend the use of locum tenens arrangements to physical therapists. Specifically, it adds physical therapists to the group of providers who may temporarily substitute for absent practitioners to furnish outpatient physical therapy services, applying the same locum tenens rules that currently apply to physicians. The change is effective for items and services furnished after the enactment date. The goal is to ensure continuity of physical therapy care when a PT is unavailable, reducing interruptions in treatment for beneficiaries.
Key Points
- 1Locum tenens, defined: A temporary substitution where one provider fills in for another to continue delivering services.
- 2Core change: Amends section 1842(b)(6) to include physical therapists for outpatient physical therapy services, applying the same subparagraph rules as physicians’ services furnished by physicians.
- 3Scope: Applies specifically to outpatient physical therapy services furnished by physical therapists.
- 4Effective date: The amendment takes effect for items and services furnished after the date of enactment.
- 5Payment/billing implications: The provision states that the locum tenens rules applicable to physicians’ services should apply to PTs in the same manner, implying parallel billing and payment treatment under Medicare for PT locum tenens arrangements.
Impact Areas
Primary affected group/area: Medicare beneficiaries receiving outpatient physical therapy and the physical therapists who provide those services, along with PT practices and facilities that employ or contract therapists.Secondary affected groups/areas: Medicare program administration and processing entities (e.g., CMS, Medicare Administrative Contractors) responsible for adjudicating outpatient PT claims and overseeing locum tenens arrangements.Additional impacts: May improve continuity and timeliness of PT care, particularly in settings with PT shortages or during temporary absences. Could influence workflow, scheduling, and staffing in PT clinics. May raise considerations for compliance, credentialing, and monitoring to prevent abuse or improper use of locum tenens arrangements. Potentially modest cost implications for Medicare related to extended coverage of temporary substitutions, depending on utilization.
Generated by gpt-5-nano on Oct 7, 2025