By Nicole Lewis, AACVPR Marketing & Communications Manager | March 28, 2019
AACVPR’s Day on the Hill (DOTH) activities have been a crucial part of our advocacy efforts for years, and our time spent on Capitol Hill has resulted in real change. Still, a small percentage of AACVPR and state Affiliate members regularly have the opportunity to participate. So this year, we took a news crew with us to Washington D.C., to show what it’s like to participate in DOTH, and to help spread awareness of why it’s important for CR and PR professionals to advocate for the practice.
“This video projects a clear understanding of AACVPR’s engagement with past DOTH advocacy and current legislative focus of section 603,” said Ana Mola, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, MAACVPR and AACVPR president-elect. “It is my hope it will inspire our members both locally and nationally to continue to advocate our legislative agenda.”
Check out this broadcast, and let us know what you think. Special thanks to LSI for making this video project possible!
Our work doesn’t stop when we leave D.C. Using DOTH at Home resources, you can help us continue to push the message of the change to Section 603 we need in order to allow our facilities survive.
Not sure if this is all worth it? Here are just a few notable accomplishments from our past DOTH work:
- 2006: After submission of evidence and a formal request, Medicare expanded cardiac diagnoses eligible for CR to include cardiac valve, PTCA/stent, heart and heart/lung transplant.
- 2008: Our bill, the “Pulmonary and Cardiac Rehabilitation Act of 2008” passed through Congress to become Public Law 110-275, establishing specific, mandated benefit categories, provisions previously at the discretion of local Medicare contractors. This was the first formal acknowledgment by CMS of “pulmonary rehabilitation” as a distinct service.
- 2014: After submission of evidence and a formal request, systolic heart failure diagnosis was added as an eligible diagnosis for CR.
- 2018: Our bill to allow direct supervision of CR/PR by non-physician practitioners was included in Public Law 115-123.
Questions about Day on the Hill or DOTH at Home? Contact us!