From office at ptidaho.org Sat Oct 13 18:18:01 2007 From: office at ptidaho.org (office at ptidaho.org) Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2007 18:18:01 -0600 Subject: [List] Items from APTA that may be of interest to you. Message-ID: <20071013181801.w81aglbdccwws4so@webmail.boisecomputerservice.net> From IPTA Office: REGISTRATION DEADLINE FOR AUDIOCONFERENCE ON HOME HEALTH PPS RULE IS OCTOBER 22 Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who provide services under the Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) have the chance to learn how new federal regulations affect them at an APTA-sponsored audioconference. (The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released the final rule for HH PPS on August 29 for Calendar Year 2008.) "Understanding Changes to the Home Health Prospective Payment System: The 2008 HH PPS Final Rule" will be held from 2:00 to 3:30 pm EST, Wednesday, October 24. The call, featuring home health experts Cindy Krafft, MS, PT, COS-C, and Ellen Strunk, MS, PT, will explain the provisions of the new rule and how to ensure compliance. You can register online, download a registration form, or call the APTA Service Center at 800/999-2782, ext 3395. The registration deadline is October 22. DMEPOS BOND REQUIREMENT SUMMARIZED ONLINE APTA members can now access a summary of a proposed CMS rule requiring providers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) to have a $65,000 surety bond. APTA's comments on the rule also are available. The proposed rule, introduced due to the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, requires the surety bond of Medicare suppliers, in an effort to reduce fraud and abuse. CMS is requesting comments on the estimated cost of procuring the bond and whether certain providers should be exempt. CMS estimates the bond will cost approximately $2,000, or 3% of the value of the bond. ? REGISTRATION DEADLINE FOR HOME HEALTH REGULATIONS AUDIOCONFERENCE IS OCTOBER 22 Please remind members who provide services under the Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) to take part in an APTA audioconference about new federal regulations. "Understanding Changes to the HH PPS: The 2008 HH PPS Final Rule" will be held from 2:00-3:30 pm EST, Wednesday, October 24. The call, featuring home health experts Cindy Krafft, MS, PT, COS-C, and Ellen Strunk, MS, PT, will explain the provisions of a final rule released August 29. To sign up, register online, download a registration form, or call the APTA Service Center at ext 3395. ? "STOP THE CAP WEEK" FLY-IN REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS OCTOBER 24 Please remind your members of the opportunity to take part in a weeklong advocacy event to stop the Medicare therapy cap from taking effect. The October 29 - November 2, 2007, "Stop the Cap Week" will feature an advocacy "fly-in" to Capitol Hill on Wednesday, October 31. Participants must register by October 24. Those unable to attend can call toll-free 866/346-2770 to connect with their members of Congress to urge them to stop the cap. Unless Congress steps in, the arbitrary cap on physical and occupational therapy and speech-language pathology will return January 1, 2008. Submissions to APTA's Appointed Group Pool Is January 1 The deadline for submission of names to the APTA Appointed Group Pool is January 1, 2008. The Appointed Group Pool is used to fill vacancies on the Association's standing committees by matching the activity to the expertise of the individual. Please encourage your members to apply by the deadline of January 1 (or, if you would like to nominate an individual, please contact Ren? Malone at renemalone at apta.org by December 12). Anyone wishing to be considered for a standing committee appointment in 2008 must submit a Biographical and Consent Form by January 1. (A list of Appointed Group Pool vacancies for 2008 is available online.) Please contact Ren? Malone at ext 3117 or at renemalone at apta.org. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.ptidaho.org/pipermail/list/attachments/20071013/35bf7457/attachment.html From office at ptidaho.org Tue Oct 16 12:06:32 2007 From: office at ptidaho.org (office at ptidaho.org) Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2007 12:06:32 -0600 Subject: [List] Medicare therapy cap exceptions about to go away Message-ID: <20071016120632.ict4j8zreo8cgwgk@webmail.boisecomputerservice.net> ? TAKE ACTION ON THE THERAPY CAP OCTOBER 31ST ADVOCACY DAY NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT! ? Have you used the Medicare therapy cap exceptions process to assure that your patients get the therapy they need?? Those exceptions are about to go away? ? In LESS THAN 80 DAYS the therapy caps will return without exceptions if Congress does not act.? The current exceptions process expires on December 31, 2007 and Congress is quickly running out of time to take action on essential Medicare provisions.?? In addition to the return of the therapy cap, without Congressional action physical therapists will also be subject to a cut in 2008 payments under the Medicare physician fee schedule of nearly 10%.? It is paramount that physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, students of physical therapy and the patients we serve TAKE ACTION NOW! ? APTA, along with leading therapy and patient organizations, is hosting a focused advocacy effort to make sure Congress hears the message that the ?CAPS MUST BE STOPPED? and that the ?CUTS MUST BE PREVENTED.???? To help ensure that Congress hears this message loud and clear, we need you to participate. ? ????????? PARTICIPATE IN THE OCTOBER 31ST ?STOP THE THERAPY CAPS? ADVOCACY DAY IN WASHINGTON, DC ? Registration for the October 31st event[1] ? Download the registration form and fax it today. ? ????????? PARTICIPATE IN THE ?STOP THE THERAPY CAPS? TOLL-FREE CALL-IN LINE OCTOBER 29 THROUGH NOVEMBER 2. ? Call 866-346-2770 from October 29 to November 2 and be briefed on the key message to share with your Congressional office on the therapy cap and then be patched directly to your Members of Congress. ? ????????? PARTICIPATE BY SENDING EMAILS AND LETTERS TO CAPITOL HILL TO EXPRESS THE NEED TO PASS LEGISLATION NOW TO STOP THE THERAPY CAPS FROM RETURNING WITHOUT EXCEPTIONS AND TO PREVENT THE 10% CUT IN THE PHYSICIAN FEE SCHEDULE. ? To email or to print a letter to send to Congress, please visit APTA?s legislative action center[2] ? SHARE THE WEB ADDRESS OF THE PATIENT ACTION CENTER WITH YOUR PATIENTS. The APTA Patient Action Center will assist physical therapy patients be more involved in this issue with sample letters, a direct email connection to their Members of Congress, and background information for patient advocacy efforts.? Visit the Patient Action Center[3]. ? ADDITIONAL INFORMATION??? For additional information and the latest updates on the therapy caps and fee schedule updates visit APTA?s website[4]. ? Links: ------ [1] http://www.apta.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Therapy_Cap&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=43354 [2] http://www.apta.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Advocacy&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=181&ContentID=26507 [3] http://capwiz.com/amerpta/home/ [4] http://www.apta.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Advocacy&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=181&ContentID=26507 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.ptidaho.org/pipermail/list/attachments/20071016/613bafe1/attachment.html From office at ptidaho.org Tue Oct 23 10:15:52 2007 From: office at ptidaho.org (office at ptidaho.org) Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2007 10:15:52 -0600 Subject: [List] APTA Foundation has Silent Auction Message-ID: <20071023101552.c1dcv6yhq8wgwwc8@webmail.boisecomputerservice.net> FOUNDATION ONLINE AUCTION OFFICIALLY OPENThe Foundation for Physical Therapy's 2nd Annual Online Auction is open for bidding through November 6. Please encourage your members to visit the auction site to register, view items up for bid, and donate. For details, contact Barbara Malm at 800/999-2782, ext 8502, or barbaramalm at apta.org. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.ptidaho.org/pipermail/list/attachments/20071023/92285919/attachment.html From office at ptidaho.org Thu Oct 25 16:13:52 2007 From: office at ptidaho.org (office at ptidaho.org) Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:13:52 -0600 Subject: [List] Info from APTA that may be of interest. Message-ID: <20071025161352.h01mo4z94wgcosk0@webmail.boisecomputerservice.net> FOUNDATION'S NIFTI AND PODS APPLICATIONS DUE JANUARY 15The Foundation for Physical Therapy's on-line application system has been opened to accept applications for 2008 for the New Investigator Fellowship Training Initiative (NIFTI) fellowship?and Promotion for Doctoral Studies I and II (PODS I and II) scholarships. Applications must be submitted online by 5:00 pm EST, January 15, 2008. For further information on these and other Foundation programs, visit the Foundation's Web page. ? APTA COMMENTS ON HOME HEALTH RULEAPTA members can view comments submitted this week to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the agency's 2008 final rule affecting the Home Health Prospective Payment System?(HH PPS). The rule, released in August, reduces home health payments by approximately 11% through 2011 to offset increases in Medicare reimbursements. In the comments, APTA disputes CMS's reasoning for the payment reduction and urges the agency to reconsider its decision. APTA states that increases in physical therapy services are due to decreases in other services and changing patient needs. The Association also encourages CMS to recognize the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration at home health agencies. Meanwhile, APTA's October 24 home health audio conference attracted approximately 220 participants. The call featured home health experts and explained the provisions of the 2008 final rule. The CD-ROM recording of the call, including handouts, will be available after December 1.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.ptidaho.org/pipermail/list/attachments/20071025/58d10539/attachment.html From taryntwilliams at gmail.com Wed Oct 31 21:03:50 2007 From: taryntwilliams at gmail.com (taryn williams) Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 21:03:50 -0600 Subject: [List] Meeting Reminder November 6, 2007 Message-ID: <4fe1813b0710312003v1dba9e86qbc5b47d482285194@mail.gmail.com> *Idaho Physical Therapy Association* *Southwest District Fall Meeting* * * * * * * * * *Thomas M. Chopp M.D.* * * *Presenting on* * * *Common Shoulder Problems and Procedures* * * *Tuesday November 6th, 2007* *at* *7:00pm* *6:30pm registration and social networking.* * * *Treasure Valley Hospital* *8800 W Emerald Street* *Boise* * * * * * * *Dr. Chopp obtained his medical degree from the University of Minnesota. He is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. Dr. Chopp recently relocated to Boise and is currently practicing at The Shoulder Clinic of Idaho.* * * * * * * *Light refreshments will be served. * * * *$10 IPTA Members $15 Non-Members* * * *CEUs will be available for attendees.* * * * * *Questions? Please contact Taryn Williams at (208) 367-8166 or tarywill at sarmc.org* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.ptidaho.org/pipermail/list/attachments/20071031/e8e3ebc3/attachment.html