Ron, The issue of direct access can often be a confusing topic. When I am talking about direct access I am talking about direct access to Medicare patients not direct access through state licensure. I am aware that licensure laws vary regarding the issue of direct access to clinicians. While this is all well and good. Direct access is only as accessible as the payer is willing to let it be. In the case of Medicare, a therapist cannot treat this category of patient without a referral from a physician. The goal of the current PT legislation is to bypass the physician referral for Medicare patients. If this is to pass we are dealing with the concerns I outlined in my earlier posting. The issue of direct access through licensure is a completely different subject and one that has new complications for PTs in non direct access states should this legislation pass.
Redge L Campbell MS OTR/L Director of Rehabilitation Services Harrison Hospital Bremerton, WA 98310 360.792.6531 >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 11/11/02 04:07PM >>> Hello Redge: The two states I have practiced in, S. Carolina and Florida, already have direct access for OT. I've always been under the impression that with regards to direct access, PT is chasing OT because most states already have direct access for OT. Ron ************************************************* On 11/11/02,[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: RC> Greetings Colleagues, RC> I have been following with great interest the strategy of the physical RC> therapy community in moving toward the entry level DPT and submitting RC> legislation to Congress for direct access and potentially prescriptive RC> authority for physical therapists. I haven't heard much concern raised RC> in the OT community or in AOTA about the risks of this to our RC> profession. While I don't generally support OTs always chasing the PTs RC> this one has me on edge. RC> If the physical therapists gain direct access and no longer require RC> physician 30 day certification for Part B services, they will have a RC> direct line on access to this population. If you were a referring RC> physician, whom would you rather have treat your outpatients? A RC> discipline which could directly manage your patient for you with little RC> or no requirement on your part, or a discipline that required you to RC> continue to follow your patient actively every 30 days, read and sign 30 RC> day recertification notes, and be held accountable for the intensity of RC> treatment provided by the discipline? RC> My guess is that physiatrists would feel threatened and would rather RC> maintain the close contact with patients, which would benefit OT's. My RC> guess is that virtually every other referring specialty physician would RC> rather just refer to PT. The result would be a significant hit on OT RC> access to Part B patients and further increases in scope of practice RC> challenges as PT's step further into the functional skills arena. RC> As I see it, we need to have a direct professional response to this by RC> either requiring this change to be effective for all rehab ancillaries RC> or we need to vigorously oppose this legislation at the national level RC> as a threat to patient access to OT services. RC> Is this on anyone's radar screen? RC> Redge L Campbell MS OTR/L RC> Director of Rehabilitation Services RC> Harrison Hospital RC> Bremerton, WA 98310 RC> 360.792.6531 RC> *********�************ RC> Unsubscribe? Send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] RC> In the message's *body*, put the following text: unsubscribe OTlist RC> ** List messages are archived at: RC> http://www.mail-archive.com/otlist@;otnow.com RC> *********�************ *********�************ Unsubscribe? Send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the message's *body*, put the following text: unsubscribe OTlist ** List messages are archived at: http://www.mail-archive.com/otlist@;otnow.com *********�************ *********��*********** Unsubscribe? Send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the message's *body*, put the following text: unsubscribe OTlist ** List messages are archived at: http://www.mail-archive.com/otlist@;otnow.com *********��***********
