CALL YOUR SENATORS TODAY!
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At 1:00 p.m. on Friday, June 20, 2003, Senator Blanche Lincoln, Democrat fro=
m=20
Arkansas, offered Amendment No. 959, which would create a three-year,=20
five-state demonstration project to assess=A0the benefits of giving Medicare=
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beneficiaries DIRECT ACCESS=A0TO PHYSICAL THERAPY SERVICES WITHOUT A PHYSICI=
AN’S=20
PRESCRIPTION.=A0=A0Earlier versions of this legislation also defined in stat=
ute that=20
a=A0″Qualified Physical Therapist” would be considered a=A0PT=A0who was stat=
e=20
licensed.=A0=A0If this definition of qualified PT is included in the Lincoln=
Amendment and=20
then adopted by the Senate, it would=A0clearly have a major impact on the ab=
ility=20
of PTs to=A0also provide O&P services and would take precedence over whateve=
r=20
compromise may emerge from the O&P Negotiated Rulemaking Process, which is s=
oon=20
to be concluded.
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CALL TO ACTION:=A0=20
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Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for your two=20
Senators.=A0=20
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Ask them to VOTE AGAINST=A0the Lincoln Medicare Amendment No. 959=A0on DIREC=
T=20
ACCESS to physical therapy services!!!=A0=20
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Tell them the amendment=A0could negatively affect the provision of orthotic=20=
and=20
prosthetic patient care.=A0 It’s that simple.=A0 Please take five minutes to=
call=20
your Senators today or as soon next week as possible.=A0 Thank you.
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Michael J. Allen, CPO, FAAOP
President, NAAOP
