Welcome to the Vermont APTA!

President's Note 2/1/12

Hi Everyone,

This is a quick, mid-winter note before I leave for CSM next week. It looks as if it will be another wonderful opportunity for excellent, evidenced-based education as well as place to get together with colleagues informally for networking and some fun! I am looking forward to representing the Chapter at some day-long meetings with the national Association and hope to bring back timely information about payment and healthcare delivery reform. It gives me a chance to network with colleagues from other Chapters to share insight and solutions to the challenges that face us all.

If you can’t make it to CSM or, if you do and come back wanting more, the Chapter is planning a Spring and a Fall evening education series. The first series will be in Rutland from 6-8 p.m., and will be on concussion management in children, adults, and older patients. The second series will be in the Burlington area and will be on balance and strength testing tools and new concepts in swelling management. Dates and speakers will be posted soon on the web-site. The courses will be evidence-based and affordable. Hope to see you there. We also are looking into streaming the courses to other sites throughout the state, so “stay tuned for more.”

We hope to hold a series of balance assessment clinics throughout the state as part of PT month in October. Please contact the Maggie Holt PT if you are interested in taking part in one of those.

The APTA-sponsored Regional Payment Reform Pilot project for New England Chapters has met a second time and developed a work plan. Remember that our own single-payer system is under development and things are moving along rapidly. This will have an impact on how all Vermont PTs practice and should be of keen interest to all of you. The Chapter is keeping up with each development and is taking part in an advisory position to the Green Mountain Care Board. We have been invited to give testimony as needed as related bills come through the House. Thanks to Julie Adams PT for her incredible energy in this area and to Dan Wyand PT for volunteering to be part of an advisory board.

Please take a minute and “friend” VTAPTA on Facebook. Timely information will continue to go out over that site as we have it. Thanks to Kevin Duniho PT for his great work with our social media project.

Catherine Sells PT

President

VTAPTA

VT APTA Chapter Awards - Call for Nominations

Honor a fellow colleague - click here to learn more about nominating for 2012. Due Feb. 28, 2012

December 16, 2011 Medicaid Banner Page

Change in Implementation of Earlier Oversight for Outpatient Pediatric Rehabilitative Therapies
Effective December 9, 2011, the requirement for earlier oversight (greater than 8 visits) for outpatient pediatric rehabilitative therapies per Emergency Rule AHS Bulletin 11‐11/Secretary of State ID# 11‐E09 will be suspended pending formal approval of regular rule change by the legislature. Refer to current Rule 7317 for Rehabilitation Therapy Services. Providers are encouraged to consider continuing to submit requests for medical necessity review sooner than the 4 month requirement date on a voluntary basis. Earlier review by DVHA will help providers to:

Receive earlier guidance regarding medically necessary evidence based practice
Receive earlier assistance regarding Medicaid regulation and procedures
Avoid recoupments that would otherwise be generated through the retroactive utilization review process

DVHA will continue to work through the rulemaking process, with the anticipated approval of the rule change within the next several months. For clinical assistance and support, please contact Susan Mason at 802 879‐6396 or susan.mason@state.vt.us.

Proposed Provider Tax (1/20/12)

The Vermont State Legislature held a hearing this week on the proposed expansion of the medical provider tax. The Administration will not/is not proposing to expand the provider tax to new class of providers which would've included physical therapy.

This is great news for all PT's. Thank you to all VTAPTA members who contacted legislators regarding this bill.

VT APTA's Jeff Berry Highlighted in Perspectives

VT APTA Board Member Jeff Berry was interviewed recently for APTA's publication Perspectives on the value of networking through APTA. Perspectives is aimed at PTs and PTAs in the first five years of their careers. Congratulations to Jeff and thanks from all of VT APTA for all that you do for the organization. To read Jeff's quote, click here. If you'd like to see the entire issue, please log in to APTA's members only section at www.apta.org.

Welcome to VT APTA's Virtual Headquarters

The VT APTA is excited to launch its new online presence at www.vtapta.org. As health care continues to be a the forefront of national policy debate and all forms of providers face new challenges in their clinical settings, we hope you'll find the VT APTA virtual office a regular place for you to visit for information critical to your professional practice.

Please check here for:

Chapter News
Meeting Schedules
Features on Vermont PTs and their practices
Links to National events
Ads for services and events of other Associations
Our new Career Center with local and national job listings

Aimed at supporting physical therapists, physical therapists assistants and those involved with the delivery of physical therapy, please let us know if you see something missing that would be helpful. We want to be your everyday resource. You can always reach us at vtapta@leahymg.com.