Melanie Brennan PT, DPT
As the President of APTA MN, I want members to know that we are working hard on your behalf to stop the proposed change to the payment policy that BCBS is unilaterally trying to impose on MN therapy providers. I hope you’ll also understand that in any sensitive political situation, we mustn’t disclose our strategy publicly, as that would allow BCBS to see our playbook.
With that said, you should know the following:
(1) We have met with BCBS, along with our partners at MOTA, MSHA, APTA National, and several PT practices from Minnesota. The purpose of the meeting was to make our case that the BCBS proposal would do significant harm to the therapy infrastructure of our state and reduce access to services for their insureds. BCBS executives agreed to bring those concerns back, but we have not heard from them since.
(2) We have sent a joint letter from APTA MN, MOTA and MSHA to BCBS outlining our concerns.
(3) We are continuing to develop allies from large associations and corporations that could be impacted by these payment reductions and encouraging them to take actions towards BCBS using their existing relationships.
(4) The APTA MN Board approved a significant investment from our reserve fund to fight this battle head on for you, our members, as the impact is potentially devastating to both patients and providers.
(5) Finally, we are asking BCBS to pause the policy, which is slated to start next Thursday, for at least 90 days until the full ramifications to Minnesota’s health care infrastructure and the impact to patients can be fully determined.
We will continue to keep you informed and encourage you to reach out to BCBS with your concerns to personalize the impact of this policy on you and your community. Click here for tips on how to submit a letter to BCBS MN.
We appreciate your support as it is critical to our success.