Originally Published in APTA Hawaii’s Monthly e-Newsletter – April 2020 With the ever changing environment with the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve heard and received many questions and comments about e-visits and telehealth by physical therapists in Hawaii. First of all, our state Practice Act and Administrative Rules are “silent” about whether PTs and PTAs may provide…
Posted on Feb 6, 2020 by Chapter Staff Originally Published in APTA Hawaii’s Monthly e-Newsletter – February 2020 CMS Reverses Same-Day Coding Methodology Changes Implemented on January 1 If you haven’t heard yet – on January 24, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) announced it was reversing its decision to disallow payment for some…
Posted on July 1, 2019 by Chapter Staff Originally Published in HAPTA’s e-Newsletter, What’s HAPTAnin’ – July 2019 After the May 2019 sentencing of Aiea physical therapist Garrett Okubo to 42 months in prison for fraudulent billing of nearly $4 million for physical therapy treatment, much of which was provided by unlicensed personnel, HAPTA wishes…
Posted on May 2, 2019 by Chapter Staff Originally Published in HAPTA’s e-Newsletter, What’s HAPTAnin’ – May 2019 From March 31 to April 2, 300 physical therapists, physical therapist assistants and physical therapy students met in Washington, DC for the 2109 APTA Federal Affairs Forum (FAF). The advocacy objectives of the FAF are set by the…
Posted on March 4, 2019 by Chapter Staff Originally Published in HAPTA’s e-Newsletter, What’s HAPTAnin’ – March 2019 HB701 and SB547, our two companion bills to update the Hawaii physical therapy practice act to include dry needling, are on hold until the 2020 legislative session. The House version is currently waiting to be heard in…
Posted on February 6, 2019 by Chapter Staff Originally Published in HAPTA’s e-Newsletter, What’s HAPTAnin’ – February 2019 Legislation has been introduced on behalf of HAPTA that would allow PTs in Hawaii to use dry needling and would also specify that “promotion and maintenance of fitness, health, and quality of life in all age populations”…
Posted on February 6, 2019 by Chapter Staff Originally Published in HAPTA’s e-Newsletter, What’s HAPTAnin’ – February 2019 Dear Chair and Committee Members: I am a physical therapist in Hawaii. I strongly support HB701/SB547 and the proposed changes to the Physical Therapy Practice Act. These changes will modernize physical therapy practice in Hawaii and will…
Posted on December 4, 2018 by Chapter Staff Originally Published in HAPTA’s e-Newsletter, What’s HAPTAnin’ – December 2018 After years of preparation, the HAPTA Legislative Committee is moving forward with a bill to add dry needling to the Hawaii PT Practice Act. This bill will focus on three changes: removing a prohibitive practice clause that…
Posted on June 5, 2018 by Chapter Staff Originally Published in HAPTA’s e-Newsletter, What’s HAPTAnin’ – June 2018 The 2018 Hawaii legislative session ended earlier in May. Here’s an update about some of the priority legislation that HAPTA followed and wants to let you know about. Bills That Passed It’s now a felony to injure…
Posted on March 4, 2018 by Chapter Staff Originally Published in HAPTA’s e-Newsletter, What’s HAPTAnin’ – March 2018 At the end of 2017, when we learned that Humana would no longer require prior authorization for physical therapy, we rejoiced! But we heard – and have now confirmed – that Hawaii’s Humana administrator, MDX, can and…
