President’s Monthly Update

October 17, 2006 

Greetings!!!!!!

It seems that I have to open each letter that I write to the membership with an apology. Although a Presidents Letter was written for August, it was inadvertently left off the web site. Therefore, please take the time to read both letters that are posted on the web site. There is important information in both letters. These monthly reports are intended to help keep everyone informed of the things happening in Athletic Training in the State of West Virginia, in District # 3 (MAATA) and at the National level. It will generally be in bullet form to keep it concise.  If you have any questions about items in the report or anything that you would like to be passes on to the membership, please, contact me or any member of the Executive Council. I can be reached at rcable@fairmontstate.edu or by telephone at (304) 367-4273. This report will posted on the WVATA website and is intended to encourage the members of the WVATA to visit the website regularly as means of staying informed of items that are important to all of us. 

            Sen. Craig Thomas, R-Wyoming, has proposed federal legislation to add athletic

          trainers as covered providers of Medicare services.

            The bill, S. 3963, was introduced in the U.S. Senate Sept. 28. Called “Access to  

           Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services Improvement Act of 2006,” the bill

          claims to make health care services more easily available to Medicare patients.

            “This bill is important because it gives Medicare beneficiaries an opportunity to

have access to the unique skills of certified athletic trainers,” said NATA President Chuck Kimmel, ATC. “I think this will provide a level of care for a population that desperately needs it and hasn’t been able to access it.”

The bill does two things:

1. Essentially overturns the challenged CMS incident-to rule and is consistent with existing law;

2. Makes athletic trainers and lymphedema therapists covered providers under Medicare.

Of the group of practitioners who were blocked by the CMS incident-to rule, athletic trainers and lymphedema therapists can save the Medicare program money via their services. In the case of lymphedema therapists, there is an urgent need for professionals who can perform these services.

The success of this legislation is critical to the future success of athletic training, Kimmel said, because private insurers tend to mimic Medicare policies.            “Any opportunity for reimbursement begins with Medicare,” he said. “If Medicare doesn’t pay for athletic training services, which are part of the physical medicine and rehabilitation codes, then [some private insurers] won’t, either. As we’ve already seen with the incident-to ruling, athletic trainers lose their jobs as a result.”

NATA Sec./Treasurer Marjorie Albohm, MS, ATC, urges all members to get involved.

 “Every member must assume personal responsibility for contacting all people fluential in understanding and supporting our position,” she said. “The more people that we can educate about the importance of this, the more influence we’ll have on Capitol Hill.”

NATA lobbyist Bill Finerfrock said he will focus on recruiting co-sponsors after members of Congress return from their October recess. However, NATA members should take advantage of educating legislators on the bill while the lawmakers are in their districts campaigning.

“While we don’t expect Congress to act on this bill in the few remaining months of the session, we can use this time to build support for the bill in the next Congress,” Finerfrock said. “Its success is heavily dependent on a strong, immediate grassroots response.”

 If there is any additional information that I have left out, I apologize. Please forward addition information to me and I will include it in my nest letter. In the mean time good luck to all as we prepare for our “next season”, basketball, I hope everyone continues to be successful and injury free.