Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act of 2025
Key claim: The bill would let physical therapists bill Medicare for services furnished by another therapist under a qualifying temporary arrangement in any geographic area, not only in rural, medically underserved, or health professional shortage areas.
Abstract
(S2225 · 119th Congress) Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act of 2025 This bill allows a physical therapist to receive payment under Medicare for services provided to the physical therapist’s patients by another physical therapist through a qualifying temporary arrangement, regardless of the geographic area or population served. Currently, physical therapists may only receive payment with respect to such arrangements for services provided in medically underserved, rural, or health professional shortage areas. Latest action (2025-07-09): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Why this matters
Medicare’s locum tenens billing rule lets a practitioner bill for services delivered by a temporary substitute, but for physical therapists it applies only in underserved geographies — leaving urban and suburban PT practices without continuity-of-care coverage during absences. Broadening the rule nationwide would let more PT practices maintain patient access when the treating therapist is unavailable, without creating a new benefit or payment pathway.