1-9-09
OT on Obama’s Transition Team’s Agenda
President-elect Obama’s Transition Team is already working on issues related to occupational therapy and AOTA is hard at work to make sure your voice is heard. On January 5, 2009, AOTA Federal Affairs staff met with Sharon Lewis, Transition Policy Advisor to President-elect Obama, on AOTA’s concerns and requests for policy changes regarding education and pediatric practice. The discussion focused on both school-based and early intervention practice.
During the meeting AOTA’s comments and materials focused on three main areas: autism, Medicaid, and loan forgiveness. The Obama team has a great interest in autism, so occupational therapy’s role with children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders was reviewed by AOTA, particularly in regard to availability of adequate services in schools.
The Medicaid discussion focused on school-based billing issues faced by therapists, especially the importance of clarifying the definition of medical necessity as it applies to school-based practice to ensure children get the occupational therapy they are entitled to under Medicaid and IDEA. Because there is a growing shortage of special education and related professionals, AOTA encouraged the Obama Administration to fund loan forgiveness for occupational therapists working with children and adolescents as authorized with the passage of the 2008 College Opportunity and Affordability Act.
The documents submitted by AOTA will be posted on the Transition Team’s official Web site (http://www.change.gov/. However, there is a backlog because of the volume of information the Transition Team is receiving.
AOTA’s comments were well received by the Obama Transition Team and there seemed to be particular interest in the issue of defining medical necessity as it applies to Medicaid reimbursement for school-based services. There was also receptivity to funding loan forgiveness to address OT workforce issues. AOTA noted that loan forgiveness for occupational therapists working with children and adolescents would not only draw more students into occupational therapy programs but also help guide current students and practitioners into school-based practice. The general economic benefits of promoting training to meet real societal needs was also mentioned.
AOTA is continuing outreach to the Transition Team on health care, disability, research and other issue areas. AOTA held a national Web-chat on health care and hosted a health care discussion for the national office’s neighbors in Bethesda in December. Reports of those meetings were sent to the Transition Team.
When the Obama Administration is put in place over the next few weeks and months, AOTA will continue to assert itself on behalf of occupational therapy. If you have policy issues or concerns you think the Obama Administration should hear about from AOTA, send comments to FAD@aota.org.