March 25, 2025 • 18 mins
APTA Nebraska launches its new podcast to connect physical therapists across the state with updates on advocacy, practice challenges, and member benefits. Brad Dexter and APTA Nebraska President Nick Weber discuss critical issues affecting physical therapists and share resources to help members stay informed and engaged.
• Medicare's 2.8% fee schedule reduction continues despite advocacy efforts, with Congress failing to address it in the recent continuing resolution
• TRICARE providers face significant challenges with obtaining referrals and payments since TriWest became the new contractor
• CMS changed requirements for caregiver training codes (97550/97551), now requiring the full time to be furnished before billing
• Two priority bills in the Nebraska legislature: LB77 for prior authorization transparency and LB527 for increased Medicaid reimbursement
• PT demand projected to exceed supply for the next 12 years according to recent PTJ research
• The Academy of Neurological PT will hold their annual conference in Omaha this October
• APTA members can access discounts on travel, entertainment, and even laundry services through membership benefits
Stay connected with APTA Nebraska for more conversations that elevate our profession and improve the lives of Nebraskans. Subscribe, share, and join the discussion as we drive the future of physical therapy forward together.
Links:
APTA Practice Advisory: CPT Codes for Caregiver Training Without the Patient Present: https://www.apta.org/your-practice/payment/medicare-payment/cpt-codes-caregiver-training-without-patient-present-practice-advisory?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=250319-APTA-Weekly&_zs=pS2ll1&_zl=SX08A
TRICARE WEST REGION REFERRAL WAIVER APPROVAL LETTER: https://tricare.triwest.com/globalassets/tricare/provider/tricare-west-region-referral-waiver-approval-letter.pdf
Poplin Laundry Services: https://www.poplin.co
Use promo code APTA25
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the APTA Nebraska podcast, where we dive
into the stories, challenges andinnovations shaping physical
therapy in our state.
We're here to advance, promoteand protect the practice of
physical therapy, optimizing thehealth and quality of life for
all Nebraskans.
Join us as we connect withexperts, share insights and
(00:22):
build communities throughout ourprofession.
With experts, share insightsand build communities throughout
our profession.
My name is Brad Dexter, I'mhosting our podcast, and I have
Nick Weber, who's the presidentof APTA Nebraska, with me today.
You know, as was just mentioned, we wanted to start a podcast
as a way to communicate some ofthe things that are going on
within our professionalorganization in the state of
(00:43):
Nebraska, and maybe this is away that connects with you.
Maybe you love reading the SoapNote emails as they come out
into your email, but hopefullythis can be a way to ultimately
drive a little bit morecommunity within our profession
in our state.
Today, we're going to focus ona few items that typically come
out in the soap note that Nicksends on every other month basis
(01:08):
, and so we're going to talk alittle bit about advocacy issues
going on currently at both afederal and state level, as well
as some practice updates forour profession too.
So hey, nick, thanks forjoining me.
I should say hi and let yourvoice show up for a moment.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Hey, nick, thanks for joining me.
I should say hi and let yourvoice show up for a moment.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Yeah, hey, thanks for having me and, you know, thank
you for just spearheading thisnew project of ours and I agree
I think we'll have a lot ofmembers interested in this new
platform and way to stayinformed, and so I just want to
thank you and the membershipcommittee for kind of
spearheading this and hopefullythis will really work well for
all of us Absolutely Hopefully.
For those of you listening,this is a great way to get
information out to you.
But, as I mentioned, we want tobe building a community
throughout our state as well,within our profession, and so if
you have any interesting ideas,we'd love to hear those.
If you have interesting storiesor you want to share what's
going on in your community, yourpractice, we would love to hear
(02:09):
from you and at some point wewould love to interview you as
well and actually get to knowwhat's going on and share your
story with others.
So, nick, let's talk about whatwe said we're going to talk
about from an advocacyperspective.
At a federal level, there'sreally three big things going on
right now.
One of them is a continuingresolution.
(02:29):
The second one is the fact thatwe've had significant
challenges with TRICARE, andthen the third one is that CMS
just changed requirements forcaregiver code.
So what can you tell us aboutthe continuing resolution?
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Yeah.
So, as we saw, the Congress didpass the continuing resolution
to continue to fund thegovernment through September.
However, it lacked one majorcomponent that we were looking
for, and you know Congress hadpromised providers that they
would address the Medicare feeschedule back in December, even
(03:02):
when they decided then to do acontinuing resolution to March.
They ensured us that they wouldaddress it then, but they
failed to follow through on thatpromise, and so we continue to
have this 2.8% fee schedulereduction in the Medicare system
this year for 2025.
And you know it was reallyfrustrating because, you know,
despite over 1,300 letters beingsubmitted by members of APTA to
(03:27):
their congressional leadership,they continue to just kind of
ignore providers on this factthat you know we're struggling
from a reimbursement standpoint.
It's not just PT, it's reallyacross the board, with all
providers that take care of theMedicare population, and so we
were hopeful that we were notonly going to get rid of the
2.8% cut, but also get aninflationary adjustment.
(03:47):
And so you know that advocacyjust rolls on.
We just need to continue toexpress the need for better
reimbursement, and you know,hopefully that message will be
heard, and so I just want toextend a thank you to all those
that did contact their Senatorand and I guess add don't stop
we you to all those that didcontact their senator, and I
(04:07):
guess Ad don't stop, we need tocontinue to get that message out
there.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Thanks for sharing that.
Beyond what you just said, isthere anything else that we can
do?
I know keep advocating, keepcommunicating with the people
representing us, but from thediscussions that you've been in,
is there anything else we cando?
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Well, I think it's just.
It's really about having acontinued discussion.
A lot of times our leaders hearfrom us when it gets really
down close to the deadline.
Then they get this abundance ofcalls and emails as to what the
issue is.
But what we really need to dois stay on that topic all the
way through September, continueto express to them what are the
(04:53):
challenges that we face,especially those practices, I
know in the private practicespace that are struggling to
find employees or maintain staff, and we've even seen a couple
practices even here in Nebraskago out of business in just the
recent year because of some ofthe challenges with
reimbursement.
So we just need to continue totell our story and not wait
(05:13):
until the last minute.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Thanks.
The second one that I want totalk about was just the fact
that there have been significantchallenges with TRICARE.
I know a number of providershave aren't getting referrals
and then they're not gettingpaid as well, so do you have any
updates for us there?
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Yeah.
So the issue here is, you know,at the beginning of the year
TriWest Healthcare Alliancebecame the new contractor for
Tricare West and the issuereally has been with their
systems.
As far as I understand it, andso you know, providers have been
expressing frustrations reallyfrom an operational standpoint
(05:51):
in getting referrals like theyused to, as well as being able
to collect payment.
And this has risen to such asignificant level that
congressional leaders are nowreaching out kind of to their
contacts to figure out you knowhow did this happen, how do we
fix it and you know how do weprevent this from happening
(06:11):
again in the future.
So I can report thatcongressional partners have
formally reached out to theDefense Health Agency in
Congress, which has an oversightcapacity to really get these
questions answered, and sounfortunately I don't have a
timeline as to when this isgoing to be fixed, but I can at
(06:31):
least share hopefully this is areminder that the Defense Health
Agency has waived requirementsto obtain approval for referrals
for TRICARE prime enrollees atleast through March.
So my guess is, having notheard of a fix yet, that that
date will get extended and, asof right now, those approvals at
least cover services throughthe end of June.
(06:53):
So hopefully that's a littlebit of a kind of softening the
blow that this has been, but itdoesn't fix the problem with
getting paid, and so we continueto monitor this and continue to
advocate to get this fixed assoon as we can.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Yeah, great.
And listeners, if that is ofinterest to you, we'll try to
have information about some ofthese things websites that you
can continue to track or followin the show notes as well, nick.
The third thing from a federallevel is just the fact that CMS
just changed requirements forcaregiver codes.
What can you tell us about that?
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Yeah, that's right.
So in March, cms changed therequirements, specifically on
the caregiver training codes.
So we're talking about 97550,which covers the kind of the
initial 30 minutes of caregivertraining, and so what is what
we're being told now is that inorder to build a code and be
reimbursed, you have to furnishthe entire 30 minutes of that
(07:49):
code reimbursed.
You have to furnish the entire30 minutes of that code.
So this is different than mostof our other I mean really all
of our other time codes wherethere's a midpoint for billing
services.
And so APTA has advocated toCMS and they have essentially
said that they are not going tochange their mind and at least
in 2025, but they will take itunder advisement that this is
challenging for providers in thefact that it's different, but
(08:10):
you need to furnish the entire30 minutes of the code in order
to bill and then be paid for thecode.
It's also the same thing forthe additional tack-on time.
So there's a code 97551, whichis in 15-minute increments, and
it's the same thing.
For that code, you need tofurnish the entire 15 minutes to
bill for that code and then bereimbursed as well.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Okay, do you anticipate any questions from
any of our providers in regardsto that?
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Well, I guess my hope is that they were made aware of
this change.
If not, then I hope that thiscan be that notification for you
.
Then I hope that this can bethat notification for you.
But if you're looking for moreinformation on that, apta's
practice advisory on CPT codesfor caregiver training has been
updated and that's on theirwebsite.
You can find that.
(08:59):
We can probably also link thatthrough the state website for
you as well, but you can findthat and we'll have specific
language on all of this with theupdate.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
All right, Thanks, Nick.
From a state perspective, wehave a couple bills LB77 and
LB527, that have beenprioritized and pushed through
by our senators.
What information can you giveus about those?
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Yeah, that's right, and so we've passed the midpoint
now for the legislative sessionhere in Nebraska.
And so, yeah, you're right, itwas the time to identify
priority bills so that we kindof know what to focus on the
rest of the session.
And, as you mentioned, we'revery thankful that the two bills
we've probably put our mosteffort into this session were
(09:43):
kind of identified as prioritybills.
So I'll start with LB 77, whichis the Adopt the Ensuring
Transparency and PriorAuthorization Act.
So it was Speaker Arch thatprioritized this bill.
This was a welcomednotification.
For me is this bill hasn'tactually gotten out of committee
yet, but there's been a lot oftalk about this bill will do, if
(10:07):
passed, is just createtransparency with the whole
prior authorization process.
It's going to require payers toput that language that's
necessary up front.
You can't hide it behind anypaywalls or anything of that
nature, and the language needsto be very clear as to what is
required to get to that point.
And so this is something that alot of provider groups have
(10:33):
been working on together, and sowe're hopeful to see this one
kind of get across the finishline.
The other one you mentioned,brad, was LB 527, which is the
Adopt the Medicaid Access andQuality Act.
This is a bill that was broughtforward by Senator Jacobson, and
so we're very thankful for hissupport on this.
What this bill does is it takesfederal funding as a match to
(10:58):
support our Medicaidreimbursement, and this bill is
specifically for non-hospitalproviders.
So, truthfully, this bill isalmost across the finish line
already.
It's already on its finalreading, is almost across the
finish line already.
It's already on its finalreading, and really the first
two rounds of debate that cameafter it came on a committee.
It had overwhelming support,including the governor's support
(11:20):
, on this, and that's because itreally doesn't cost the state
any additional money, but itincreases reimbursement for
Medicaid because it's able todraw down federal funds.
So this would go into effect in2026 if passed Now.
That being said, we need thefederal funds to be there when
this time comes that this billwere to pass.
So we will continue to advocateat the national level to ensure
(11:43):
that Medicaid reimbursementhopefully holds or maybe even
improves, but we definitelydon't want to see a large cut to
that group.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
Excellent, Uh, what.
What do you need from members?
What do you need from physicaltherapists in Nebraska right now
?
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Yeah, you know, I think we will put out a call, um
, probably more on LB 77.
Um, about reaching out to yourcongressional leaders at the
state level as this bill once weget notification that it's
going to have its kind of day onthe floor for debate, we'll
want to make sure that ourrepresentatives are
well-educated on this issue.
(12:21):
So you'll likely get an emailfrom me Membership Blast.
That'll have a template as away to reach out to them as, or
just a link as well, with a kindof find your senator with their
phone number so that you canjust call them directly, and I
would appreciate anyone's timeand effort on that to to help
educate your provider or your uhlegislator okay, thanks, thanks
(12:43):
for all the work that you'redoing on the legislative and the
advocacy front.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
Uh, on behalf our profession too, nick, much
appreciated.
Let's shift into just apractice update.
So what can you tell us aboutPT practice in general, whether
that's at a state or a nationallevel?
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Well, one interesting thing is the recent update in
PTJ that was speakingspecifically like the supply and
demand forecast for physicaltherapists and physical
therapist assistance.
So I haven't actually got achance to dive into the whole
article myself yet, but justfrom kind of reading the cliff
notes, it looks like there'sgoing to be increased demand for
(13:24):
our services over the next 12years and while there's
projections that our ability tosupply providers is improving
over that same timeframe, we'restill not reaching the demand,
and so you know continuing tosee the need for physical
therapy services.
(13:49):
Have a good system in place tothen retain those providers,
hopefully here in Nebraska, asbest we can, and really address
our workforce shortages thatwe're already seeing here in the
state.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Okay, that was in the March 2025 PTJ, correct.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Correct.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
All right, thank you.
And then, hey, 2025 is alicensure renewal year.
What ceu opportunities do wehave available to us right now?
Speaker 2 (14:17):
yeah, there's definitely some good options out
there.
Um, as of right now, uh, aptacsm on demand is open and that
that carries forward throughapril 14th.
And, uh, another kind of coolthing going on in Nebraska is
the Academy of Neurological PTis bringing their annual
conference to Omaha in October.
I think it's October 16ththrough the 18th, all right.
(14:40):
So, yeah, we're excited to hostthem here in Omaha and they
have reached out to the stateassociation and we will have a
presence at that conference aswell and just continue to be
excited to see academies chooseNebraska for their conference.
We had the Pediatric Academycome through.
I believe it was just last year.
So something good about thiscentral destination.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
I love it Well, great , that's a lot of really good
information.
Again, listeners, hopefullythat is helpful and is available
to you in a consolidated way aswell.
I would not be doing my duediligence if, as the membership
chair, I didn't share someopportunities with you guys that
are relevant to being membersof the APTA the APTA.
(15:31):
So the first thing I want totell you is, hey, if you're
planning on going on a vacationor anything this summer and
you're an APTA member, go to themembership benefits on the APTA
website.
You may or may not know this,but you can get discounted
tickets to a lot of differenttheme parks and other places
around the US.
You can get discounts on hotels, and so make sure that you look
(15:52):
into some of that.
I was recently checking outLyft tickets.
There are a few ski resortswhere you can get discounted
Lyft tickets available, and myfamily and I also got discounted
tickets to Worlds of Fun andOceans of Fun last summer.
We'll probably do the samething with our kids this year as
well, so make sure that youcheck that out.
(16:12):
Likewise, it is tax season.
You should be working on yourtaxes.
I shouldn't say if, but asyou're going through that,
perhaps talk to your tax advisor, your accountant, on where you
might be able to have somedeductions, tax advisor your
accountant, on where you mightbe able to have some deductions
(16:33):
from your professional expenses,whether that's continuing
education, licensure, etc.
If you're paying for that outof pocket, talk to them about
that to see if you can get anydeductions.
And then the last piece just toshare with you there's an
opportunity if you are in needof laundry services.
There's an opportunity.
If you are in need of laundryservices, poplin is your place
to go.
Are you bogged down with workand life and have no time for
(16:58):
laundry?
Poplin is a nationwideon-demand personal laundry
service that can make your lifeeasier.
Your laundry will be done by alocal provider in your area and
delivered for free in perfectlyfolded stacks.
This app-based service startsat only $1 per pound pound, and
APTA has partnered with Poplinto give our members a free first
order up to $25.
To get started, go to your appstore and download the Poplin
Got Laundry app On your firstorder.
(17:20):
Use the code APTA25 to receiveyour discount.
I promise you I get no kickbackon that.
Neither does Nick.
That's just sharing informationthat was given to us from the
APTA and maybe could be ofbenefit to you if you hate doing
your own laundry and want somehelp with that.
So again, thank you If youtuned in to listen to this.
(17:42):
Appreciate you.
Hopefully this was helpful,nick.
Thanks for your time.
We appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Absolutely Glad to be here.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
And thank you all for tuning in to the APTA Nebraska
podcast.
Thanks for tuning in to theAPTA Nebraska podcast.
Stay connected with us for moreconversations that elevate our
profession and improve the livesof Nebraskans.
Don't forget to subscribe,share and join the discussion
because together we're drivingthe future of physical therapy
(18:11):
forward.
Welcome to the APTA Nebraska podcast, where we dive
into the stories, challenges andinnovations shaping physical
therapy in our state.
We're here to advance, promoteand protect the practice of
physical therapy, optimizing thehealth and quality of life for
all Nebraskans.
Join us as we connect withexperts, share insights and
(00:22):
build communities throughout ourprofession.
With experts, share insightsand build communities throughout
our profession.
My name is Brad Dexter, I'mhosting our podcast, and I have
Nick Weber, who's the presidentof APTA Nebraska, with me today.
You know, as was just mentioned, we wanted to start a podcast
as a way to communicate some ofthe things that are going on
within our professionalorganization in the state of
(00:43):
Nebraska, and maybe this is away that connects with you.
Maybe you love reading the SoapNote emails as they come out
into your email, but hopefullythis can be a way to ultimately
drive a little bit morecommunity within our profession
in our state.
Today, we're going to focus ona few items that typically come
out in the soap note that Nicksends on every other month basis
(01:08):
, and so we're going to talk alittle bit about advocacy issues
going on currently at both afederal and state level, as well
as some practice updates forour profession too.
So hey, nick, thanks forjoining me.
I should say hi and let yourvoice show up for a moment.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Hey, nick, thanks for joining me.
I should say hi and let yourvoice show up for a moment.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Yeah, hey, thanks for having me and, you know, thank
you for just spearheading thisnew project of ours and I agree
I think we'll have a lot ofmembers interested in this new
platform and way to stayinformed, and so I just want to
thank you and the membershipcommittee for kind of
spearheading this and hopefullythis will really work well for
all of us Absolutely Hopefully.
For those of you listening,this is a great way to get
information out to you.
But, as I mentioned, we want tobe building a community
throughout our state as well,within our profession, and so if
you have any interesting ideas,we'd love to hear those.
If you have interesting storiesor you want to share what's
going on in your community, yourpractice, we would love to hear
(02:09):
from you and at some point wewould love to interview you as
well and actually get to knowwhat's going on and share your
story with others.
So, nick, let's talk about whatwe said we're going to talk
about from an advocacyperspective.
At a federal level, there'sreally three big things going on
right now.
One of them is a continuingresolution.
(02:29):
The second one is the fact thatwe've had significant
challenges with TRICARE, andthen the third one is that CMS
just changed requirements forcaregiver code.
So what can you tell us aboutthe continuing resolution?
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Yeah.
So, as we saw, the Congress didpass the continuing resolution
to continue to fund thegovernment through September.
However, it lacked one majorcomponent that we were looking
for, and you know Congress hadpromised providers that they
would address the Medicare feeschedule back in December, even
(03:02):
when they decided then to do acontinuing resolution to March.
They ensured us that they wouldaddress it then, but they
failed to follow through on thatpromise, and so we continue to
have this 2.8% fee schedulereduction in the Medicare system
this year for 2025.
And you know it was reallyfrustrating because, you know,
despite over 1,300 letters beingsubmitted by members of APTA to
(03:27):
their congressional leadership,they continue to just kind of
ignore providers on this factthat you know we're struggling
from a reimbursement standpoint.
It's not just PT, it's reallyacross the board, with all
providers that take care of theMedicare population, and so we
were hopeful that we were notonly going to get rid of the
2.8% cut, but also get aninflationary adjustment.
(03:47):
And so you know that advocacyjust rolls on.
We just need to continue toexpress the need for better
reimbursement, and you know,hopefully that message will be
heard, and so I just want toextend a thank you to all those
that did contact their Senatorand and I guess add don't stop
we you to all those that didcontact their senator, and I
(04:07):
guess Ad don't stop, we need tocontinue to get that message out
there.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Thanks for sharing that.
Beyond what you just said, isthere anything else that we can
do?
I know keep advocating, keepcommunicating with the people
representing us, but from thediscussions that you've been in,
is there anything else we cando?
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Well, I think it's just.
It's really about having acontinued discussion.
A lot of times our leaders hearfrom us when it gets really
down close to the deadline.
Then they get this abundance ofcalls and emails as to what the
issue is.
But what we really need to dois stay on that topic all the
way through September, continueto express to them what are the
(04:53):
challenges that we face,especially those practices, I
know in the private practicespace that are struggling to
find employees or maintain staff, and we've even seen a couple
practices even here in Nebraskago out of business in just the
recent year because of some ofthe challenges with
reimbursement.
So we just need to continue totell our story and not wait
(05:13):
until the last minute.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Thanks.
The second one that I want totalk about was just the fact
that there have been significantchallenges with TRICARE.
I know a number of providershave aren't getting referrals
and then they're not gettingpaid as well, so do you have any
updates for us there?
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Yeah.
So the issue here is, you know,at the beginning of the year
TriWest Healthcare Alliancebecame the new contractor for
Tricare West and the issuereally has been with their
systems.
As far as I understand it, andso you know, providers have been
expressing frustrations reallyfrom an operational standpoint
(05:51):
in getting referrals like theyused to, as well as being able
to collect payment.
And this has risen to such asignificant level that
congressional leaders are nowreaching out kind of to their
contacts to figure out you knowhow did this happen, how do we
fix it and you know how do weprevent this from happening
(06:11):
again in the future.
So I can report thatcongressional partners have
formally reached out to theDefense Health Agency in
Congress, which has an oversightcapacity to really get these
questions answered, and sounfortunately I don't have a
timeline as to when this isgoing to be fixed, but I can at
(06:31):
least share hopefully this is areminder that the Defense Health
Agency has waived requirementsto obtain approval for referrals
for TRICARE prime enrollees atleast through March.
So my guess is, having notheard of a fix yet, that that
date will get extended and, asof right now, those approvals at
least cover services throughthe end of June.
(06:53):
So hopefully that's a littlebit of a kind of softening the
blow that this has been, but itdoesn't fix the problem with
getting paid, and so we continueto monitor this and continue to
advocate to get this fixed assoon as we can.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Yeah, great.
And listeners, if that is ofinterest to you, we'll try to
have information about some ofthese things websites that you
can continue to track or followin the show notes as well, nick.
The third thing from a federallevel is just the fact that CMS
just changed requirements forcaregiver codes.
What can you tell us about that?
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Yeah, that's right.
So in March, cms changed therequirements, specifically on
the caregiver training codes.
So we're talking about 97550,which covers the kind of the
initial 30 minutes of caregivertraining, and so what is what
we're being told now is that inorder to build a code and be
reimbursed, you have to furnishthe entire 30 minutes of that
(07:49):
code reimbursed.
You have to furnish the entire30 minutes of that code.
So this is different than mostof our other I mean really all
of our other time codes wherethere's a midpoint for billing
services.
And so APTA has advocated toCMS and they have essentially
said that they are not going tochange their mind and at least
in 2025, but they will take itunder advisement that this is
challenging for providers in thefact that it's different, but
(08:10):
you need to furnish the entire30 minutes of the code in order
to bill and then be paid for thecode.
It's also the same thing forthe additional tack-on time.
So there's a code 97551, whichis in 15-minute increments, and
it's the same thing.
For that code, you need tofurnish the entire 15 minutes to
bill for that code and then bereimbursed as well.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Okay, do you anticipate any questions from
any of our providers in regardsto that?
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Well, I guess my hope is that they were made aware of
this change.
If not, then I hope that thiscan be that notification for you
.
Then I hope that this can bethat notification for you.
But if you're looking for moreinformation on that, apta's
practice advisory on CPT codesfor caregiver training has been
updated and that's on theirwebsite.
You can find that.
(08:59):
We can probably also link thatthrough the state website for
you as well, but you can findthat and we'll have specific
language on all of this with theupdate.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
All right, Thanks, Nick.
From a state perspective, wehave a couple bills LB77 and
LB527, that have beenprioritized and pushed through
by our senators.
What information can you giveus about those?
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Yeah, that's right, and so we've passed the midpoint
now for the legislative sessionhere in Nebraska.
And so, yeah, you're right, itwas the time to identify
priority bills so that we kindof know what to focus on the
rest of the session.
And, as you mentioned, we'revery thankful that the two bills
we've probably put our mosteffort into this session were
(09:43):
kind of identified as prioritybills.
So I'll start with LB 77, whichis the Adopt the Ensuring
Transparency and PriorAuthorization Act.
So it was Speaker Arch thatprioritized this bill.
This was a welcomednotification.
For me is this bill hasn'tactually gotten out of committee
yet, but there's been a lot oftalk about this bill will do, if
(10:07):
passed, is just createtransparency with the whole
prior authorization process.
It's going to require payers toput that language that's
necessary up front.
You can't hide it behind anypaywalls or anything of that
nature, and the language needsto be very clear as to what is
required to get to that point.
And so this is something that alot of provider groups have
(10:33):
been working on together, and sowe're hopeful to see this one
kind of get across the finishline.
The other one you mentioned,brad, was LB 527, which is the
Adopt the Medicaid Access andQuality Act.
This is a bill that was broughtforward by Senator Jacobson, and
so we're very thankful for hissupport on this.
What this bill does is it takesfederal funding as a match to
(10:58):
support our Medicaidreimbursement, and this bill is
specifically for non-hospitalproviders.
So, truthfully, this bill isalmost across the finish line
already.
It's already on its finalreading, is almost across the
finish line already.
It's already on its finalreading, and really the first
two rounds of debate that cameafter it came on a committee.
It had overwhelming support,including the governor's support
(11:20):
, on this, and that's because itreally doesn't cost the state
any additional money, but itincreases reimbursement for
Medicaid because it's able todraw down federal funds.
So this would go into effect in2026 if passed Now.
That being said, we need thefederal funds to be there when
this time comes that this billwere to pass.
So we will continue to advocateat the national level to ensure
(11:43):
that Medicaid reimbursementhopefully holds or maybe even
improves, but we definitelydon't want to see a large cut to
that group.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
Excellent, Uh, what.
What do you need from members?
What do you need from physicaltherapists in Nebraska right now
?
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Yeah, you know, I think we will put out a call, um
, probably more on LB 77.
Um, about reaching out to yourcongressional leaders at the
state level as this bill once weget notification that it's
going to have its kind of day onthe floor for debate, we'll
want to make sure that ourrepresentatives are
well-educated on this issue.
(12:21):
So you'll likely get an emailfrom me Membership Blast.
That'll have a template as away to reach out to them as, or
just a link as well, with a kindof find your senator with their
phone number so that you canjust call them directly, and I
would appreciate anyone's timeand effort on that to to help
educate your provider or your uhlegislator okay, thanks, thanks
(12:43):
for all the work that you'redoing on the legislative and the
advocacy front.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
Uh, on behalf our profession too, nick, much
appreciated.
Let's shift into just apractice update.
So what can you tell us aboutPT practice in general, whether
that's at a state or a nationallevel?
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Well, one interesting thing is the recent update in
PTJ that was speakingspecifically like the supply and
demand forecast for physicaltherapists and physical
therapist assistance.
So I haven't actually got achance to dive into the whole
article myself yet, but justfrom kind of reading the cliff
notes, it looks like there'sgoing to be increased demand for
(13:24):
our services over the next 12years and while there's
projections that our ability tosupply providers is improving
over that same timeframe, we'restill not reaching the demand,
and so you know continuing tosee the need for physical
therapy services.
(13:49):
Have a good system in place tothen retain those providers,
hopefully here in Nebraska, asbest we can, and really address
our workforce shortages thatwe're already seeing here in the
state.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Okay, that was in the March 2025 PTJ, correct.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Correct.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
All right, thank you.
And then, hey, 2025 is alicensure renewal year.
What ceu opportunities do wehave available to us right now?
Speaker 2 (14:17):
yeah, there's definitely some good options out
there.
Um, as of right now, uh, aptacsm on demand is open and that
that carries forward throughapril 14th.
And, uh, another kind of coolthing going on in Nebraska is
the Academy of Neurological PTis bringing their annual
conference to Omaha in October.
I think it's October 16ththrough the 18th, all right.
(14:40):
So, yeah, we're excited to hostthem here in Omaha and they
have reached out to the stateassociation and we will have a
presence at that conference aswell and just continue to be
excited to see academies chooseNebraska for their conference.
We had the Pediatric Academycome through.
I believe it was just last year.
So something good about thiscentral destination.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
I love it Well, great , that's a lot of really good
information.
Again, listeners, hopefullythat is helpful and is available
to you in a consolidated way aswell.
I would not be doing my duediligence if, as the membership
chair, I didn't share someopportunities with you guys that
are relevant to being membersof the APTA the APTA.
(15:31):
So the first thing I want totell you is, hey, if you're
planning on going on a vacationor anything this summer and
you're an APTA member, go to themembership benefits on the APTA
website.
You may or may not know this,but you can get discounted
tickets to a lot of differenttheme parks and other places
around the US.
You can get discounts on hotels, and so make sure that you look
(15:52):
into some of that.
I was recently checking outLyft tickets.
There are a few ski resortswhere you can get discounted
Lyft tickets available, and myfamily and I also got discounted
tickets to Worlds of Fun andOceans of Fun last summer.
We'll probably do the samething with our kids this year as
well, so make sure that youcheck that out.
(16:12):
Likewise, it is tax season.
You should be working on yourtaxes.
I shouldn't say if, but asyou're going through that,
perhaps talk to your tax advisor, your accountant, on where you
might be able to have somedeductions, tax advisor your
accountant, on where you mightbe able to have some deductions
(16:33):
from your professional expenses,whether that's continuing
education, licensure, etc.
If you're paying for that outof pocket, talk to them about
that to see if you can get anydeductions.
And then the last piece just toshare with you there's an
opportunity if you are in needof laundry services.
There's an opportunity.
If you are in need of laundryservices, poplin is your place
to go.
Are you bogged down with workand life and have no time for
(16:58):
laundry?
Poplin is a nationwideon-demand personal laundry
service that can make your lifeeasier.
Your laundry will be done by alocal provider in your area and
delivered for free in perfectlyfolded stacks.
This app-based service startsat only $1 per pound pound, and
APTA has partnered with Poplinto give our members a free first
order up to $25.
To get started, go to your appstore and download the Poplin
Got Laundry app On your firstorder.
(17:20):
Use the code APTA25 to receiveyour discount.
I promise you I get no kickbackon that.
Neither does Nick.
That's just sharing informationthat was given to us from the
APTA and maybe could be ofbenefit to you if you hate doing
your own laundry and want somehelp with that.
So again, thank you If youtuned in to listen to this.
(17:42):
Appreciate you.
Hopefully this was helpful,nick.
Thanks for your time.
We appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Absolutely Glad to be here.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
And thank you all for tuning in to the APTA Nebraska
podcast.
Thanks for tuning in to theAPTA Nebraska podcast.
Stay connected with us for moreconversations that elevate our
profession and improve the livesof Nebraskans.
Don't forget to subscribe,share and join the discussion
because together we're drivingthe future of physical therapy
(18:11):
forward.
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