The conversations weren't ceremonial, but rather focused, direct, policy-driven discussions that will shape how physical therapists practice in the coming years.

'

APTANJ's Capitol Hill Day 2025 team secured face-to-face meetings with Senators Booker and Kim, plus Representatives Watson Coleman, McIver, Sherrill, Gottheimer, and Kean. Each conversation centered on four critical legislative priorities affecting our profession.

Medicare payment reform topped our agenda.

→ SAFE Act for elderly falls prevention

→ PT interruptions of care (Locum Tenens regulations)

→ Postpartum pelvic health legislation

Every office was receptive.

But reception means nothing without follow-through.

APTANJ works behind the scenes in places where healthcare policy gets written. These meetings represent months of preparation, position papers, and strategic relationship building.

The legislators asked detailed questions about Medicare reimbursement gaps and how current policies create barriers to preventive care. They wanted to understand why PT continuity matters for patient outcomes.

Real policy work happens in these rooms.

For the districts we couldn't reach in person, we left comprehensive information packets and we're scheduling August recess meetings.

If you want to meet with your representative during recess, please reach out directly to our Federal Policy Liaison, Doula Riley, PT, DPT at: bakatssp@yahoo.com or John McInerney at jmcinerney@aptanj.org to learn more about the process and get involved!

Your expertise needs to be part of these conversations.

The conversations weren't ceremonial, but rather focused, direct, policy-driven discussions that will shape how physical therapists practice in the coming years.

'

APTANJ's Capitol Hill Day 2025 team secured face-to-face meetings with Senators Booker and Kim, plus Representatives Watson Coleman, McIver, Sherrill, Gottheimer, and Kean. Each conversation centered on four critical legislative priorities affecting our profession.

Medicare payment reform topped our agenda.

→ SAFE Act for elderly falls prevention

→ PT interruptions of care (Locum Tenens regulations)

→ Postpartum pelvic health legislation

Every office was receptive.

But reception means nothing without follow-through.

APTANJ works behind the scenes in places where healthcare policy gets written. These meetings represent months of preparation, position papers, and strategic relationship building.

The legislators asked detailed questions about Medicare reimbursement gaps and how current policies create barriers to preventive care. They wanted to understand why PT continuity matters for patient outcomes.

Real policy work happens in these rooms.

For the districts we couldn't reach in person, we left comprehensive information packets and we're scheduling August recess meetings.

If you want to meet with your representative during recess, please reach out directly to our Federal Policy Liaison, Doula Riley, PT, DPT at: bakatssp@yahoo.com or John McInerney at jmcinerney@aptanj.org to learn more about the process and get involved!

Your expertise needs to be part of these conversations.

Keep posted on our social media channels:

https://www.facebook.com/APTANewJersey

https://x.com/APTANJ

https://www.instagram.com/aptanewjersey/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/american-physical-therapy-association-of-new-jersey

APTANJ is proud to announce that Alma Merians has been named a 2024 Catherine Worthingham Fellow. This honor recognizes the significant contributions made to the field of physical therapy, and for exemplifying excellence in the fields of education, practice and service, publications, research, and academics.

An APTANJ member since 1976, Dr. Merians’ main focus is to study basic mechanisms underlying neuromuscular control of human movement and sensorimotor learning and to utilize technology-assisted rehabilitation to re-train people with neurological diseases like stroke or cerebral palsy. She was one of the pioneering groups to use interactive, adaptive robotics and virtual reality simulations for hand training in people with hemiplegia post-stroke and has been integral to the development of the system*.

She is a distinguished professor and the Chairperson of the Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Sciences at Rutgers University.

Congratulations from all of us at APTANJ on such a prestigious honor!

“With our move into Trenton, our proximity has opened many doors for our professional association to create deeper ties in the community,” stated APTANJ president, Megan Gardner.

“We look forward to using the funds from our grant to provide health screenings and education to those in our state, while also bringing more awareness to what services our profession provides.”

With the grant funds, APTANJ is purchasing items such as treatment tables, yoga mats, dynamometers, blood pressure cuffs and more needed to perform community screenings.

APTANJ has conducted two movement screenings this year in the City of Trenton and will be adding another date in October which is PT Month. We are also looking for volunteers to lead these movement screenings in other areas of the state.

“This grant is an exciting opportunity to expand physical therapy's outreach in NJ,” said, APTANJ Secretary, Shannon Drastura, who led the grant process.

Each APTANJ screening includes screen blood pressure, strength, balance, and endurance.

At the conclusion of their movement screening, each attendee receives an individualized report of their results with recommendations from current APTANJ members.

“APTANJ members have the opportunity to shape the general public’s perception of physical therapy to include wellness and disease prevention,” added Drastura. “We look forward to continuing to collaborate with the Trenton community and expanding to other areas in the state.”

For more information or volunteer opportunities, please email info@aptanj.org.

A special thank you to the NJ Delegation representing the physical therapy profession from the Garden State at the 2022 APTA House of Delegates from Saturday, August 13 to Monday, August 15 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington DC.

Your delegation (in alphabetical order)

Delegates:

• Benjamin Aguila, PT, DPT
• Mercedes Elena Aguirre, PT, DPT
• Jessica C. Dunn, PT, DPT, MS
• Megan Gardner, PT, MPT, MHA, CLT
• Thomas Gardner, PT, DPT, ATC
• Richard Hubler, PT, DPT
• Stephanie D. Long, PT, DPT
• Kathleen K. Mairella, PT, DPT, MA
• Kaitlyn Ruth Mital, PT, DPT
  
• Margaret D. Soucek, PT, DPT
• Chase Stopyra, PT
  

   Alternate Delegates:

• Jennifer D. Lazaro, PT, DPT (not pictured)
• Marc J. Suznovich, PT, DPT, GCS
  

PTA Caucus Rep

• Rebecca Horton, PTA

Special thanks to our student usher, Julia Melao, SPT, a second year DPT student from Rutgers University who played an integral role in assisting all of the delegates throughout the House.

View the recording here

Please join APTANJ in congratulating Shannon on this outstanding recognition!

Estimated Impact to PT/OT/SLP Reimbursement in 2021

In the 2021 PFS final rule, CMS advances the policy discussed in the 2021 PFS proposed rule to increase the values of the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) office/outpatient evaluation and management codes and adopt the add-on code (HCPCS code G2211) beginning January 1, 2021. Despite APTA’s persistent advocacy both with HHS/CMS and Congress, to accommodate these increases and maintain budget neutrality, CMS is adopting reimbursement reductions for physical therapy and dozens of other provider specialties beginning January 1, 2021 under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.

Within the final rule, CMS is increasing the work RVUs for physical therapy evaluations (97161-97163), from 1.2 to 1.54 and the physical therapy re-evaluation (97164) from 0.75 to 0.96 (Table 25). However, as illustrated in Table 106 in the final rule, the combined impact of the reduction slated for physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology services in 2021 is -9%. The reduction is being implemented through application of the budget neutrality adjustment to the conversion factor to satisfy the budget neutrality requirements of 1848(c)(2)(B)(ii) of the Social Security Act. The conversion factor for CY 2021 is $32.4085, a reduction of $3.6811 from the CY 2020 conversion factor (Table 104).

In the final rule, in response to commenters’ concerns with the budget neutrality adjustments, CMS states: “While we understand the concerns articulated by commenters, our approach to making the required budget neutrality adjustment to account for changes in expenditures resulting from changes to RVUs, including those for the office/outpatient E/M code set and other similar services, is consistent with the approach we have applied to achieve budget neutrality in the past in accordance with the requirements of the statute. The statutory waiver authorities available to the Secretary following a public health emergency declaration, which are largely established in section 1135 of the Act, do not include waiver authority that would allow for implementation of changes to the PFS outside of the budget neutrality requirements in statute. The changes we make to RVUs are directed at setting appropriate resource-based relative values in accordance with section 1848 of the Act, and any increases or decreases in estimated payments associated with our finalized policies are purely a result of our longstanding budget neutrality process.” (Page 1664).

Next Steps

APTA is strongly advocating for passage of Holding Providers Harmless from Medicare Cuts During COVID-19 Act of 2020 (H.R. 8702) before the end of the year. The bill would keep Medicare payment levels stable for the next two years, sparing physical therapy and 36 other professions from cuts designed to offset increases to payment for office/outpatient evaluations and management services. Since the spring, APTA has been working with a broad coalition of health care provider groups that includes the American Medical Association, the American College of Surgeons, and 53 other groups on legislation to address the payment cuts under the fee schedule. With more than 300 meetings with members and staff, and more than 100,000 grassroots communications from APTA members and allies, our advocacy continues with a virtual rally set for Thursday, December 3^rd during which APTA and its members will continue to urge Congress to enact H.R. 8702 prior to the end of the year.

1. Provide two-way communication between APTA Geriatric and the chapter.
2. Communicate with AGPT members within your state when there are geriatric-related issues, courses, meetings, etc. in your chapter.
3. Hold at least two activities within your chapter each year to promote increased awareness and knowledge of PT for older adults.

There are currently two community events being organized for 2020; one in Monmouth County for May and one in Ocean County for September. More details will be made available in the near future.

Congratulations to Haim on the appointment; we wish him well in his new role.

Interested in volunteering and/or organizing an event? Send an email to aptanjgerisig@gmail.com.