AOTA Successfully Advocates in Congress for Passage of Two Bills: Falls Prevention and Genetic Nondiscrimination
On April 23, 2008, President Bush signed the Safety of Seniors Act into law (Public Law 110-202). AOTA has been one of the leading advocates for passage of this legislation. The Safety of Seniors Act, also known as the Keeping Seniors Safe from Falls Act, has been part of AOTA’s legislative agenda for several years and final passage marks a significant legislative victory.
The legislation allows the secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct research and evaluate programs that would reduce the incidence and public health burden of falls. Of particular interest to the occupational therapy profession are training opportunities for practitioners to teach other health care professionals about falls prevention strategies and to raise awareness about falls, which kill over 16,000 Americans a year and result in $19.2 billion dollars in health care costs. AOTA is also working with Congress on behalf of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) National Center for Injury Prevention and Control to increase appropriations that would be used by the CDC to improve its falls prevention activities.
Another victory for AOTA and its membership took place on May 1 when the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (H.R. 493) passed the House and Senate and sent to the President for his signature. After 13 years of negotiations, the House and Senate have finally agreed on principles that will prevent employers and insurers from denying coverage or charging more to people who have a genetic disposition to disease. The legislation also bars employers from using individuals’ genetic information when making hiring, firing, job placement, or promotion decisions.
AOTA and the Genetic Alliance, an organization that is devoted to promoting optimum health care for people suffering from genetic disorders and AOTA has been a longtime member of, have actively supported this legislation for years and are excited to share this victory with all occupational therapy practitioners and the patients they serve.