A contingent from the MGH Institute’s Occupational Therapy Department traveled to Washington, D.C. to highlight the critical role of occupational therapy in advancing health, education, and community participation. OT Department Chair Sarah McKinnon along with OT colleagues Patti Peterson and Mary O’Donnell, and entry-level OTD students Camryn To and Savanna Pendergraft joined others in the profession from across the country for the American Occupational Therapy Association’s (AOTA) Annual Hill Day on September 19.

Each of them met with legislators from their home constituencies in multiple meetings to share information on several priorities, including ensuring beneficiaries maintain uninterrupted access to care by extending the Medicare Telehealth Waivers beyond the September 30 expiration date, and educating them on the need for robust federal funding to address the school-based OT workforce crisis, so that students can receive the specialized support they need to succeed in Kindergarten through grade 12. They also shared with lawmakers the importance of supporting two bills:  Medicare Home Health Accessibility (H.R. 2013) which would increase access to home health services and would remove an existing barrier to care by allowing an OT to be ordered as a stand-alone service under Medicare home health when appropriate; and the OT Mental Health Parity Act (H.R. 4037/S.2848) which would provide stakeholders using Medicare with education and clarity of OT services available for individuals with mental health and substance use disorders. 

“Advocacy is essential to protecting access to occupational therapy services across the lifespan,” said McKinnon. “Meeting directly with legislators allows us to share the real impact OT has in homes, schools, and communities, and to ensure that our clients, students, and families are not left behind.”
To stay engaged in ongoing advocacy efforts, visit https://www.aota.org/advocacy.