Physical therapists continue to be at the table for important discussions around the establishment of coding values: APTA members Jonathan Morren, PT, and Angela Pennisi, PT, DPT, MS, have been named as alternate advisors to two key American Medical Association advisory committees that contribute to the development of the codes and code values used for payment of services across health care.

Pennisi will serve as an alternate advisor to AMA's Relative Value Scale Update Committee Health Care Professionals Advisory Committee , known as RUC HCPAC. Morren has been named alternate advisor to the Current Procedural Terminology HCPAC, or CPT HCPAC.

Each professional society or association that is represented at the CPT and RUC HCPACs has the opportunity to name an advisor and an alternate advisor who will represent the association.

Pennisi and Morren join two more APTA members who were previously named to the groups: Kathleen Picard, PT, DPT, who is a CPT advisor, and Rick Rausch, PT, DPT, MS, RUC advisor and RUC HCPAC co-chair — the first-ever PT co-chair of this powerful group. APTA member Randy Boldt, PT, MPT, who has served as the RUC HCPAC alternate advisor, will continue to play a role in the process during this transition.

Morren is with the WellSpan Health-York Hospital, in York, Pennsylvania. Pennisi is president and CEO of PhysioPartners PC, located in Chicago. Picard is the founder and owner of a health policy and practice firm and adjunct faculty member in the DPT programs at the University of Minnesota and the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth. Rausch is founder and president of Sovereign Rehabilitation of Illinois.

"Representing the physical therapy profession in the development and valuation of codes is a demanding and critical effort, and we are so pleased to have such talented and dedicated APTA member participants,” said Alice Bell, PT, DPT, senior health policy and payment specialist at APTA. “APTA is grateful to these members and all those who have served in the past for their commitment to these very important roles."

For a better sense of the importance of these committees and insight into the RUC and CPT process, check out this free podcast. (20 minutes)