This year's Medicare Physician Fee Schedule includes proposed changes that would improve occupational therapy (OT) reimbursement under Medicare Part B. At the same time, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is also considering policies that could affect...

Occupational therapy services have faced years of reduced Medicare payment due to an arbitrary payment policy called the multiple procedure payment reduction (MPPR). This policy—implemented by Congress in 2013—was not based on an analysis of the actual cost of delivering...

On June 16th, the Department of Education (ED) announced a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that includes plans to move the functions of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to HHS. OSEP administers the...

Medicare Home Health Accessibility Act would enable OT to be ordered as a solo home health service!  Occupational therapy (OT) has long been recognized as an important home health service under Medicare; however, it is the only skilled service that does not qualify a...

The Department of Education has released its final rule implementing the changes Congress made to graduate student loan limits. As expected, occupational therapy was not included in the list of professional programs in the draft regulatory language. This means...

The use of telehealth to deliver a wide range of services, including occupational therapy, has expanded significantly since 2020 when Congress enacted temporary waivers allowing more types of practitioners, including occupational therapists and occupational therapy...

Approximately 54% of Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans which are managed by private insurance companies under the umbrella of the overall Medicare program administered by CMS. Once enrolled in an MA plan, beneficiaries are bound by their...

The States Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment (SHARE) Act (H.R. 2332/S.1101) is bipartisan legislation introduced by Representatives Tracey Mann (R-KS) and Joe Neguse (D-CO) in the House, and Senators Peter Welch (D-VT), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Angus King...

AOTA is working to expand access to occupational therapy services for individuals living with mental health and substance use disorders. OT practitioners are uniquely equipped to support these clients in developing healthy routines, coping strategies, and life skills that...