APTA MA members,
We want to give you an idea of what we have been up to for state-based advocacy over the last few weeks.
Derek Sople and I have had two meetings to discuss our Scope of Practice bill S.215. One with Chair Lovely of the Senate Committee on Rules and a subsequent meeting with Senate President Spilka’s Healthcare Policy Staff. The following day, former APTA MA presidents Heather Jennings and Eric Folmar joined me at our lobbyist’s office to have a discussion with Senator Rodrigues, Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, regarding our PT Compact legislation.
We are optimistic after these positive conversations were had on all three accounts. We strongly believe these bills will help drive the profession forward in the state and improve patient care and access. We continue our efforts along with the guidance of our executive directors and lobbyists, including discussions with Senate President Karen Spilka and Governor Maura Healey in the coming weeks.
If you are interested in getting involved to push advocacy forward in Massachusetts please reply to this email.
Finally, today, on a national level, the Department of Education finalized a new federal regulation that severely limits the borrowing amount of student loans for certain degrees, including physical therapy. The RISE committee did not decide to update the list of what professions met the professional versus graduate degree designation. The new regulation reclassifies dozens of professional degree programs, such as physical therapy education, as “graduate degree programs” for the purposes of federal student loan borrowing limits.
Under the final rule, “graduate degree programs” now have an annual borrowing limit of $20,500 and a lifetime cap of $100,000. In contrast, programs designated as “professional degree programs” will have a $50,000 annual limit and a $200,000 total cap. As a result, future physical therapy students will face significantly lower federal student loan limits. While APTA supports efforts to reduce the cost of education, this arbitrary rule, contrary to congressional intent, will create new barriers for prospective students and negatively affect the health care workforce at a time of nationwide shortages.
Thank you,
Steven Smith, PT, DPT
President, APTA Massachusetts
