[List] Items from APTA that may be of interest to you.

[office at ptidaho.org]

   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 René 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 René Malone at ext 3117 or at  
renemalone at apta.org.
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