An APTA-backed bipartisan bill that would significantly boost falls screening and prevention among Medicare beneficiaries was reintroduced on Feb. 11 in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Known as the Stopping Addiction and Falls for the Elderly Act, or SAFE Act, the legislation first was introduced in the 118th Congress last March but wasn't passed before that Congress adjourned. Now in the House of Representatives of the 119th Congress, the bill would make falls screenings, including those conducted by PTs, a regular part of both the so-called "welcome to Medicare" visit, officially titled the Initial Preventive Physical Examination, and the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit. The new bill was introduced by Reps. Carol Miller, R-W.Va., and Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M. APTA strongly supports the legislation.
The idea behind the SAFE Act is twofold: to reduce falls among older adults and, through that reduction, to decrease opioid use that often occurs after a fall injury. Specifically, the bill would ensure that beneficiaries who were identified by their physicians as having experienced a fall in the year prior to their Initial Preventive Physical Examination would be referred to a physical therapist for screening and preventive services. In addition, beneficiaries who've been enrolled in Medicare for at least a year and who choose to participate in an annual wellness visit (different from an annual physical) would be referred for a separate falls risk assessment and potential additional PT services if the annual wellness visit reveals that they've fallen within the previous year.
The SAFE Act aligns with APTA's ongoing public policy priorities, one of which is expanding health benefits under federal programs, such as Medicare, to include coverage for preventive and wellness services provided by physical therapists to help reduce downstream costs.
The legislation is also consistent with findings from APTA's landmark 2024 report that identified cost savings associated with seeing a PT first or early on for falls prevention, among seven other common conditions.
"APTA's report titled 'The Economic Value of Physical Therapy in the United States' shows the cost-effectiveness of physical therapist services for falls prevention and emphasizes the need for improved access to them," said APTA President Kyle Covington, PT, DPT, PhD, in applauding the bill's introduction. "By reducing the risk of falls, this legislation will improve patients' lives and provide cost savings to the Medicare program."
The report concluded that seeing a PT for falls-prevention services was associated with a net cost benefit of approximately $2,100 per episode of care, primarily as a result of the hospital admissions and emergency department visits that could be avoided.