While many will be celebrating Father’s Day tomorrow, important policy matters will be rigorously debated by the House of Delegates of the American Medical Association.

Sandwiched between resolution 223 Talking to Patients about Firearms and 225 Voluntary End of Life Planning as Part of the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (doesn’t sound like a “wellness” visit to me), is resolution 224 Physical Therapy is not the Practice of Medicine.

The resolution specifically:

Whereas, The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) has identified the following “APTA Vision Sentence for Physical Therapy 2020,” “By 2020 physical therapy will be provided by physical therapists who are doctors of physical therapy, recognized by consumers and other health care professionals as the practitioners of choice to whom consumers have direct access for the diagnosis of, interventions for, and prevention of impairments, functional limitations, and disabilities related to movement, function, and health;” and

Whereas, Based on education and training, this is beyond the appropriate scope of practice of physical therapy; and

Whereas, Instead, this would constitute the practice of medicine; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That our American Medical Association work at the local, state, and federal levels, through regulation and legislation, and litigation, to prevent physical therapists from practicing medicine. (Directive to Take Action)

Fiscal Note: Implement accordingly at estimated staff cost of $1,859. 

Received: 5/19/11

In case your wondering why it specifically says “practice of medicine”, you have to look at the sponsors.  The resolution is being introduced by American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the American Association of Neuromusular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine.  I think it is fair to say that neither of these groups are exactly being secret Santa’s to physical therapists who are board certified in clinical electrophysiology.

While this resolution might raise the eyes of our PT community, let’s not be deceived.  The clear intention has nothing to do with the AMA fighting direct access and everything to do with blocking PT’s performing electrodiagnostic testing (EMG/NCS).  This strategy despite any action by AMA has been one of many that have largely failed.  For at least 25 years, PT’s have been fighting and winning the on-going battle to practice and be compensated fairly in this specialty practice.  I think AMA might just  consider talking to their members about this resolution.  They will find that many physician’s contract with physical therapists for this service and that many physicians hire trained technicians for the nerve conduction portion of the exam.  They might want to further converse with CMS to see how the concept of  “incident to” services of which many physician’s utilize for billing of physical therapy services is completely within the “practice of medicine’ concept.  Or, they might just get so worn out debating the merits of talking to patients about firearms in the prior resolution that they defer resolution 224.

Thoughts?

larry@physicaltherapist.com