New initiatives are empowering members to drive meaningful payment reform and strengthen the future of the profession.
APTA has introduced two initiatives focused on building community and strengthening payment for and access to physical therapist services: the new SPARC Forum on the APTA Community and the APTA Payment Advocacy Pledge.
The State Payer Advocacy Resource Consortium, or SPARC, is a joint initiative from APTA, APTA Orthopedics, and APTA Private Practice to help physical therapists and physical therapist assistants succeed with payer advocacy in their states.
During the July APTA Payment Advocacy Summit, participants turned their commitment into action by signing the APTA Payment Advocacy Pledge.
The pledge asks members to commit to three tasks: joining the newly created SPARC Forum on the APTA Community, exploring SPARC resources, and advocating for improved payment. After taking the pledge, members are encouraged to use this toolkit to amplify this movement on social media to inspire fellow members to take action and showcase how we're working together to improve payment.
Why Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants Should Join the New SPARC Forum on the APTA Community
The new SPARC Forum on the APTA Community is the go-to hub for tools, strategies, and support to navigate today's payment challenges and support advocacy efforts to advance PT payment.
Through this community, PTs, PTAs, and students can connect with peers from across the country to drive payment advocacy forward by discussing efforts aimed at commercial payers, workers’ compensation, state Medicaid, and more.
Members can use the community to share information and strategies on payment challenges, legislative wins, contracting tips, payment trends, and denials and appeals.
If you're new to the APTA Community platform, we invite you to take a 3-minute tour to learn how to maximize your experience. If you have questions about the APTA Community or need support, email the APTA Community Support team.
Finding and Using Physical Therapy Payment Advocacy Resources in SPARC
The SPARC website features educational and reference guides that help members engage payers more effectively.
Currently, the website includes materials on:
- Administrative burden
- Contracting
- Denials and appeals
- Multiple Procedure Payment Reduction, or MPPR
- Value-based care
Members can also find these key APTA payment resources via the SPARC website:
- The APTA State Medicaid Payment Rate Guide
- APTA's landmark report, “The Economic Value of Physical Therapy in the United States”
- APTA's State of Direct Access to Physical Therapist Services Report
These resources are designed to boost members' ability to navigate policy requirements, advocate for fair processes, and improve financial outcomes in their practices.
Read more about how SPARC is strengthening APTA’s advocacy efforts nationwide in APTA Magazine.