Call to Action!

Very important for ALL athletic trainers: 
Write Your Congressperson TODAY to Support H.R. 1846, Medicare Access to Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services Improvement Act

A new bill, "Medicare Access to Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services Improvement Act" (H.R. 1846), was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.  This is essentially the same bill that was introduced last fall; it died when the last Congress adjourned.  A companion bill will be introduced in the Senate soon.

The bill does two things:

1. Essentially overturns the 2005 CMS therapy-incident to rule and makes it consistent with the intent of how physical medicine and rehabilitation services are intended to be provided in physician offices.

2. Makes athletic trainers and lymphedema therapists covered providers under Medicare.

NATA needs your action today and in the future.  It's imperative that every member gets behind this bill and supports it.  Go to the NATA Legislative Alert Center and follow the secure links to send your letter to your members of Congress. 

What You Need to Do:

1. Write letters to your lawmakers, asking them to support the Medicare Access to Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services Improvement Act  (H.R. 1846).

2. Don't know how to reach your U.S. Senators and Representative? Click on the Legislative Alert Center. Send your letter from this page.  It's quick and easy!

3. Go to the Federal Legislation Resource page to get sample support letters for physicians, employers, administrators and other professional colleagues.  There also are resources for patients, athletes and parents.  Ask them to support you by writing letters and making phone calls to their legislators.\
   
   Questions? 
   Contact Amy Callender at 1.800.879.6282, ext. 153 or amyc@nata.org.

NATIONAL PROVIDER IDENTIFIER (NPI)

Tom Bair M.Ed., A.T.,C. L.A.T.
District IX Committee on Revenue Representative

The NPI is part of the requirements imposed on the health care system by HIPAA.  It can affect every athletic trainer regardless of setting unless you plan on retiring in the next 18 months or so.  EVERY athletic trainer should get their NPI today.

What is the NPI?

Today, health plans assign identification numbers to health care providers -- individuals, groups, or organizations that provide medical or other health services or supplies. The result is that providers who do business with multiple health plans have multiple identification numbers. The NPI is a unique identification number for health care providers that will be used by all health plans. Health care providers and all health plans and health care clearinghouses will use the NPIs in the administrative and financial transactions specified by HIPAA. Even if you currently do not work in a setting that bills health care plans today, what is to say you won’t in the future? The NPI contains no embedded intelligence; that is, it contains no information about the health care provider such as the type of health care provider or State where the health care provider is located.

Who needs an NPI?

NPIs are given to health care providers that need them to submit claims or conduct other transactions specified by HIPAA. A health care provider is an individual, group, or organization that provides medical or other health services or supplies. This includes physicians and other practitioners, physician/practitioner groups, institutions such as hospitals, laboratories, and nursing homes, organizations such as health maintenance organizations, and suppliers such as pharmacies and medical supply companies. This does not include health industry workers, such as admissions and billing personnel, housekeeping staff, and orderlies, who support the provision of health care but do not provide health care services.

How are the NPIs going to be used?

The NPI must be used in connection with the electronic transactions identified in HIPAA. In addition, the NPI may be used in several other ways: (1) by health care providers to identify themselves in health care transactions identified in HIPAA or on related correspondence; (2) by health care providers to identify other health care providers in health care transactions or on related correspondence; (3) by health care providers on prescriptions (however, the NPI could not replace requirements for the Drug Enforcement Administration number or State license number); (4) by health plans in their internal provider files to process transactions and communicate with health care providers; (5) by health plans to coordinate benefits with other health plans; (6) by health care clearinghouses in their internal files to create and process standard transactions and to communicate with health care providers and health plans; (7) by electronic patient record systems to identify treating health care providers in patient medical records; (8) by the Department of Health and Human Services to cross reference health care providers in fraud and abuse files and other program integrity files; (9) for any other lawful activity requiring individual identification of health care providers, including activities related to the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 and the Balanced Budget Act of 1997.

How do I get an NPI?

The quickest way is to go the following web site and fill out the application on line https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov and follow the prompts. We are listed under the Respiratory, Rehabilitative and Restorative Service Providers section, just in a sub-section of that area. The placement of our position has nothing to do with an ATCs education, abilities or qualifications. In fact the placement of ATCs in the specialist technician sub-category requires more education then placement in the more general area. No one should imply that because we are not listed in the general area that we are perceived as being less qualified.  (Remember the government is involved)

Why is it important I get an NPI when I don’t bill for services?

1) These numbers are for medical professional, you are one. 2) Just because you might be working in an environment or state where you don’t bill for your services today doesn’t mean you won’t tomorrow. 3) If you are billing for your services you won’t be able to unless you have an NPI.

NATA Open Letter on Hydration and Fluid Replacement

Keeping students well hydrated in school and before, during and after sporting activities is a major concern of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA). We appreciate the efforts of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, which has recommended secondary school beverage guidelines to limit portion sizes and reduce calories available to children during the school day to decrease childhood obesity. These guidelines have sparked a national debate on what drinks should or shouldn’t be available at vending machines in school.

NATA is committed to educating children with smart beverage choices during the school day to ensure they are getting the nutrients they need for any level of physical activity or sports participation. It is vital for children to hydrate during the day. Even when not exercising or engaging in physical activity, they need to properly replenish fluids to avoid dehydration later.

NATA’s position statement on fluid replacement generated awareness on how dehydration can compromise performance and increase the risk of heat illness. The position paper recommends a series of practices regarding fluid replacement for athletes.   Among them:  easy access to water and sports drinks at all times. And that these beverages be available at appropriate venues in the school setting. (If the link above does not work, please paste this link into your browser:

http://www.nata.org/statements/position/fluidreplacement.pdf)

Recent research by leading hydration authority Douglas Casa, PhD, ATC suggests that as many as 67 percent of children participating in sports generally arrive dehydrated.  Also, previous research has shown that children do a better job rehydrating when they have access to a flavored sports drink than when only water is available. When drinking water, children will intake only about 50-60 percent of what they need, as opposed to flavored sports drinks, where consumption is about 80-90 percent more than water.

With the current debate in some school districts over whether sports drinks should be banned in high schools, NATA supports their continued availability. Student athletes, band members, students in PE class, the cheerleading and drill team and other physically active students need to stay hydrated. Sports drinks provide the ingredients a physically active student or school athlete needs to replenish his or her system.

Once children are dehydrated, it’s difficult for them to reestablish adequate hydration prior to his/her activity.  That’s why the NATA encourages its members to support the right of students to continue to have access to both water and sports drinks during the school day and afterwards.

Sincerely,

Please visit http://www.nata.org/hydration_letter to show your support and sign your name to the online letter.

Thank you.