At Confluent Health, we are advocating for legislation and policies that support clinicians and the patients they serve. That’s why our CEO, Dr. Kristi Henderson, DNP, FAAN, recently took to Capitol Hill to meet with lawmakers and staffers ahead of the critical March 14 vote on the physician fee schedule. Her message was clear: The proposed 3% Medicare reimbursement cut is unsustainable and will have devastating consequences for physical therapy and the millions of patients who rely on it.
Why This Matters
Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology services are essential services—not optional—for keeping Americans healthy, mobile, and independent. Yet, continued Medicare reimbursement cuts threaten to shrink access to these critical services. Kristi’s meetings underscored that this issue is bigger than just sports rehab — it affects millions of Americans including vulnerable populations such as older adults, pediatric patients, and women.
If these cuts take effect, more clinics will be forced to close or reduce services, leaving patients with fewer options for care. Without access to therapy, more patients will turn to costly emergency room visits, unnecessary imaging and injections, or opioids—driving up long-term healthcare costs for everyone.
The True Cost of Inaction
In her meetings, Kristi shared data showing the real-world impact of reimbursement cuts to therapists, emphasizing:
- Escalating healthcare costs: When access to therapy is reduced, patients often have costly emergency room visits, undergo unnecessary injections and surgeries or rely on medications—driving up long-term spending.
- Worsening patient outcomes: Delayed or unavailable therapy leads to prolonged recovery times and higher disability rates.
- Reduced provider availability: As clinics struggle to stay afloat under shrinking reimbursements, many will be forced to take steps that will reduce the availability of therapy services to Medicare patients such as opting out.
What’s Next?
Confluent Health will continue reinforcing this message with legislators to drive home the urgency of stopping these cuts before they cause irreparable harm. Confluent Health remains committed to fighting for fair reimbursement policies that ensure therapy remains accessible, affordable, and valued.
Now is the time to act. We encourage our clinicians, employees, and industry partners to stay informed and engaged. Advocacy is a collective effort—together, we can push for policies that support sustainable, high-quality care.
Stay tuned for updates on the March 14 vote and how Confluent Health is working to protect musculoskeletal healthcare for all.
Take action now to protect patient access to care! Contact your lawmakers today and urge them to address the 2025 Medicare cuts by filling out this quick form: https://www.aptqi.com/take-action/?vvsrc=%2fCampaigns%2f120786%2fRespond.