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To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to include physical therapists and occupational therapists as health professionals for purposes of the annual wellness visit under the Medicare program, and for other purposes.
Summary
This bill expands Medicare coverage for falls prevention by including physical therapists and occupational therapists as health professionals in the annual wellness visit and initial preventive physical exam. For Medicare beneficiaries who have fallen in the previous calendar year (as determined by a physician), the annual wellness visit would now include a falls risk assessment and fall prevention services provided by these therapists. The bill also adds coverage for outpatient occupational therapy and physical therapy services as part of the initial preventive physical examination for individuals with a prior fall. These coverage expansions are effective January 1, 2026. Beginning in 2027, the bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to report annually to Congress on the number and trends of falls among individuals aged 65 and older who received treatment for fall-related injuries.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
3 cosponsors
Actions (2)
- Jul 31, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. · senate
- Jul 31, 2025 Introduced in Senate
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 31, 2025
Mr. Justice introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance
A BILL
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to include physical therapists and occupational therapists as health professionals for purposes of the annual wellness visit under the Medicare program, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Stopping Addiction and Falls for the Elderly Act” or the “SAFE Act”.
SEC. 2. PHYSICAL THERAPY AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY BENEFIT IN THE MEDICARE ANNUAL WELLNESS VISIT AND INITIAL PREVENTIVE PHYSICAL EXAM.
(a) Annual Wellness Visit.—
(1) In general.—Section 1861(hhh) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(hhh)) is amended—
(A) in paragraph (1)—
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking “; and” and inserting a semicolon;
(ii) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
“(C) that, in the case of an individual who has been determined by a physician to have fallen in the previous calendar year, includes a falls risk assessment and fall prevention services.”; and
(B) in paragraph (3)—
(i) in subparagraph (B), by striking “or” at the end;
(ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; or”; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
“(D) in the case of an individual described in paragraph
(1)(C), a physical therapist or an occupational therapist furnishing a separate falls risk assessment and fall prevention services.”.
(2) Effective date.—The amendment made by paragraph (1) shall apply to annual wellness visits furnished on or after January 1, 2026.
(b) Initial Preventive Physical Examination.—
(1) In general.—Section 1861(ww)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(ww)(2)) is amended—
(A) in subparagraph (N), by moving the margins of such subparagraph 2 ems to the left;
(B) by redesignating subparagraph (O) as subparagraph (P); and
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (N) the following new subparagraph:
“(O) In the case of an individual that has been determined by a physician to have experienced a fall in the previous calendar year, outpatient occupational therapy services (as defined in subsection (g)) and outpatient physical therapy services (as defined in subsection (p)).”.
(2) Effective date.—The amendment made by paragraph (1) shall apply to initial preventive physical examinations furnished on or after January 1, 2026.
SEC. 3. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.
Beginning January 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit to Congress a report on the number of falls (as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) experienced by individuals aged 65 and older that received treatment for pain or injury related to a fall or falls experienced in the previous calendar year. With respect to each subsequent report, such Secretary shall include the data reported in previous years and describe any changes from year to year. <all>
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