Membership CommitteeDrives member engagement efforts and recruits new members into APTA Oregon and APTA. Coordinates PT Night Out, PT Day of Service, and Annual Membership Drive, among other member engagement activities. Looking for someone who is: people-centered, friendly, passionate, energetic.
Interested in PT Night Out?Click here for more information. August 2021Speak Up for Physical Therapy! One of the many benefits of being an APTA member is receiving alerts about advocacy opportunities. There are several upcoming bills being proposed in our federal government that would impact physical therapy. APTA's Patient Action Center follows these bills and has drafted templates which make it easier for your voice to be heard regarding these important issues. Part of our membership dues support work in these areas in order to follow the government's legislation activities, and being a member allows you easy access to support legislation that will promote the profession of physical therapy. The current bills discussed on this link are regarding Medicare cuts proposed by CMS, including physical therapists in loan repayment programs, improving diversity with our profession, and promoting Telehealth reimbursement. No matter what setting you are in, or where you are in your professional career, you may find a bill you care deeply about and start your own journey into advocacy. Click on the link below for further details: APTA Patient Action Center | APTA Below is a letter from the President of the APTA on the subject matter: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ It's time to come together and act.
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is once again proposing payment cuts to Medicare outpatient services, cuts that threaten patients' ability to access needed care and our ability to provide it. Physical therapy isn't alone in these sweeping cuts — some three-dozen other health care professions are affected as well, some worse than ours.
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History of the Fight
July 2021Your Membership Counts! APTA-OR Top Priority Bills Passed because of your membership and APTA-OR Leadership! Despite the numerous challenges posed by the pandemic, two of APTA-OR’s top-priority bills were successfully passed during the 2021 legislative session. The first, House Bill 2508, builds off of previous telemedicine legislation and policies enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It requires Medicaid and commercial insurers to reimburse telemedicine services at the same rate as in person services. This legislation will enable physical therapy providers to continue to be reimbursed for treatment provided via telemedicine and will enable patients to continue to benefit from these services. The second bill, House Bill 2517, is a health care utilization management bill that requires insurers to report certain information regarding prior authorizations, including the number of requests received, the number of initial denials, the reasons for the denials, and the number of denials reversed upon appeal. HB 2517 also modifies requirements that apply to utilization review by insurers. Among other things, it requires insurers to use evidence-based clinical review criteria that are updated based on new research, to inform providers of the specific information missing if a request is deemed incomplete, to have a website that clearly posts requirements for requesting coverage of a treatment and that allows providers to submit requests for coverage, and, when requests for coverage are denied, to provide written notice to providers specifying the evidence-based reason for denial of coverage. These new requirements should help to increase the transparency and efficiency of the processes for requesting treatment coverage, making it easier for PT providers and patients. https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB2517/Enrolled https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB2508/Enrolled Submitted by
April 2021We have all interacted with PTs and PTAs who are either APTA-Oregon members or not. If you are interested in learning about the proportion of members versus non-members in our state and association, please keep reading. Currently, our market share of PT members is 44%, meaning that we have about 1,400 out of the 3,181 PTs who are licensed in Oregon. Also, we currently have 11% market share of PTAs, which means that of the 800+ PTAs who are licensed in Oregon, 86 are members. With all of the outstanding benefits that our membership provides, why do we not have a greater overall market share? Membership to APTA-Oregon enhances advocacy of our profession, and members can assist with increasing these discrepancies in market shares. Examples that generate opportunities to market or advocate for APTA-Oregon include: sharing a useful endorsement for professional membership; disclosing resources found on our website; and networking with other members. In conclusion, membership is promoted by us and you. If you would like to express how your membership has benefitted you or your colleagues, please email Garrett Stroup (Membership Chair) at [email protected].
October 2020Can your membership help personal finances? Let’s back up a little bit. The license to practice Physical Therapy in Oregon costs $190. Renewal for Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants require 24 hours of continuing education every two years, along with 1 hour of pain management continuing education. At this point you might be wondering how you can afford your membership as a PT at $420 or as a PTA at $265. You are correct to say that practicing Physical Therapy is expensive. However, have you reviewed the benefits that you receive from the APTA and the Oregon Chapter? As usual, the value you find from membership is a multivariate decision. To search for a clear answer, begin by reviewing your goals. Maybe you are a traveling Physical Therapist who has been practicing for more than five years. You are working within a variety of settings and it is difficult to remain up-to-date with current research. With your membership, you have free access to hundreds of tests and measures, evidence-based practice resources, clinical practice guidelines, APTA’s Article Search (formerly PTNow), and the Rehabilitation Reference Center. Alone, each of these services would cost several hundred dollars, but due to the membership of 100,000 strong, these opportunities are FREE. Okay, maybe the previous example did not apply to you. Maybe you graduated last August of 2020. With the use of the APTA’s Early-Career Dues Discount (formerly Career Starter Dues) you can reduce your membership cost by 50%. Also, due to many current factors, you decide that you would like to begin your continuing education online, while also building a network. You’re in luck. With your APTA membership you can save $175 on MedBridge, receive a .25% rate discount on student loans through the APTA Financial Solutions Center, create a free profile in the Find a PT directory, and join a chapter committee. Whether you have been practicing for a long-time, or not, the APTA and the Oregon Chapter is here to advocate and progress our profession. Like many other strong associations, we begin with our members. We aim to service you, while we welcome your engagement. We aim to progress our profession for our patients and we provide a service that is difficult to monetize. Our organization relies on membership. Thank you. Some examples of how membership can benefit you:
May 2020The membership committee has remained dedicated to serving our profession through the COVID-19 pandemic. We see the difficulties that our profession is facing between work and home. We are also proud of your adaptability and your determination to keep your patients and family safe! We hope you are taking advantage of the resources that our association has maintained on the website for you. And if you have not done so, we encourage you to access our COVID-19 webpage for relevant information and to share your experience! During this crisis, the Membership Committee has implemented multiple initiatives to reach-out to our members, developed leadership within the student body, and promoted mentorship to our new graduates. For example, our “New Graduate Mentor Group” is already coordinating a webinar with two highly qualified speakers to discuss the “Job Market & COVID-19” for new graduates. We believe this subject is critical because new graduates will be competing with more experienced physical therapists. This 1-hour webinar will feature two guest speakers, Mike Studer and Truett Nealy. Both of these speakers are well established and equipped to detail the newest dynamics of this situation. This event will be available for members and nonmembers on June 18th at 7pm. This event will be limited so please register on our website! We are always looking for feedback too, so if you have innovative ideas please email either [email protected] or [email protected]. Thank you for your time!! June, 2019Hey everyone! I just wanted to give you all a quick update on what we have been doing in the membership committee. Our members are so important to the OPTA and to the physical therapy profession. OPTA is here to serve its members and we know that in order to change, innovate, and progress our profession we need to have as many engaged members as possible. That is why each year we do our membership drive. We take a day to contact everyone who has been a member in the last year but has not renewed their membership for another year. We encourage them to rejoin the ranks at OPTA, address any concerns they have, and thank them for their past membership. This year we were able to contact more than 150 people. If you are a member: Thank You for being here. We need your passion, enthusiasm, and drive. To help move our profession forward, and to ultimately better serve our patients which is why we are all here in the fist place. The OPTA has many ways to get involved; one of the newest opportunities is our member led initiatives grant program. If you have a project or program that seeks to serve your community, profession, or patients, then the OPTA wants to support you. They are awarding grants from $500-$5000. Please go take a look here. Our next big event is coming up in October, and it is called ‘PT Day of Service.’ This is a day when physical therapy professionals around the country get together and participate in service within their communities. Last year, we had more than 30 people come out and serve the homeless community in Portland. It was an amazing experience! Lets get even more people this year. Click here and look for a service project near you. Again, thank you all so much for your service to our profession. Colbie Jorgensen, Membership Chair The Membership Committee has three major annual events that could always use your energy and support:
Learn more about how a few hours and your skills can make these events to develop our membership to be even more successful!
Upcoming Events:May – Membership Drive and Phone-a-Thon May 9th 2019
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October – PT Day of Service Weekend of October 13th 2019
Please contact Colbie Jorgensen if you are interested in any of these volunteer opportunities!
Membership Committee Drives member engagement efforts and recruits new members into the OPTA and APTA. Coordinates PT Night Out, PT Day of Service, and Annual Membership Drive, among other member engagement activities. Looking for committee members who are: People-centered, friendly, passionate, energetic. Contact: Colbie Jorgensen, Chair |
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