POLISCOPE
Back to feed
S2225FEDERALin_committee

Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act of 2025

July 9, 2025

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

Where This Stands

Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Signed

Currently in_committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Last action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.Jul 9, 2025

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

The Frame

What this does

If passed, this bill would allow Medicare-enrolled physical therapists to maintain patient care continuity by using temporary substitute providers, potentially reducing service gaps for Medicare beneficiaries.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Physical Therapists

They would gain the legal authority to use temporary substitute providers for Medicare-covered outpatient services.

Medicare Beneficiaries

They may experience fewer interruptions in their physical therapy treatment plans if their regular therapist uses a substitute during an absence.

What changed

Current stage: in_committee.

What's next

Floor Vote.

Summary

This bill proposes allowing physical therapists to use '' arrangements under Medicare, which would permit them to hire temporary substitutes to provide services when they are absent. This change aims to align physical therapists with the same staffing flexibility currently available to physicians under Medicare.

Why It Matters

If passed, this bill would allow Medicare-enrolled physical therapists to maintain patient care continuity by using temporary substitute providers, potentially reducing service gaps for Medicare beneficiaries.

Key Facts

  • The bill amends section 1842(b)(6) of the Social Security Act.
  • It adds physical therapists to the list of providers eligible for locum tenens arrangements under Medicare.
  • Locum tenens arrangements allow a provider to bill Medicare for services provided by a temporary substitute during the provider's absence.
  • The change applies specifically to outpatient physical therapy services.
  • The provisions of the bill would take effect for services furnished after the date of the Act's enactment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a 'locum tenens' arrangement?
It is a legal arrangement where a temporary professional fills in for a regular provider, allowing the regular provider to bill for the services performed by the substitute.
Who would be affected by this change?
Medicare-enrolled physical therapists and the Medicare beneficiaries who receive outpatient physical therapy services from them.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Expansion of Provider Flexibility

The bill represents a policy shift to grant physical therapists the same administrative billing flexibility previously reserved for physicians under Medicare.

Connected Entities

personMr. BoozmanCo-sponsor of the bill.Map →
personMr. GrassleyCo-sponsor of the bill.Map →
personMr. CramerCo-sponsor of the bill.Map →
personMr. LujanLead sponsor of the bill in the Senate.Map →
organizationCommittee on FinanceThe Senate committee to which the bill was referred.Map →

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance40
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy10
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz15
    Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools

Share or embed this record

POLISCOPE publisher tools

Share or embed this record