Representatives Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Paul Tonko (D-NY), and John Joyce (R-PA) introduced a new legislation to support access to occupational therapy in home health care. The Medicare Home Health Accessibility Act would change the statutory language defining skilled needs for home health to include occupational therapy as a qualifying service to receive home health.

The current statutory language states “in the case of an individual who has been furnished home health services based on such a need and who no longer has such a need for such care or therapy, continues or continued to need occupational therapy.” This bill will go a long way to clarifying this complicated language around occupational therapy and simply align with other therapies.  LeadingAge will be monitoring this legislation closely.