Policy impacts practice.  The Texas Occupational Therapy Association is committed to being proactive relative to legislative issues that impact you, the practitioner, and the clients we serve. We hope that you will find the information here helpful as you advocate for your profession and your future.  

 Protecting Section 504 -Schools and Early Intervention

TOTA Community, we need you to first read the AOTA article "Protecting Section 504"  and second, use the link below to send a message to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton! The link will take you to the AOTA Legislative Action Center.
https://www.votervoice.net/AOTA/Campaigns/122103/Respond

  

The 89th Texas Legislative Session

The 89th Legislature’s regular session runs from Jan. 14 to June 2, 2025. Every 2 years, the Texas Legislature meets to pass the state's budget and new legislation. These sessions last for up to 140 days and are referred to as "regular" sessions.

Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact (OT Compact)  
HB 932 - Relating to the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact; authorizing fees.  HB 932 was filed on 11/12/2024 by Representative Armando Walle. The Bill was passed out of the House Public Health Committee on April 14.

TOTA 2025 Bill Tracking Reports:
Bill Tracking Report 1/17/2025
Bill Tracking Report 1/24/2025 
Bill Tracking Report 1/31/2025
Bill Tracking Report 2/07/2025 
Bill Tracking Report 2/15/2025 
Bill Tracking Report 2/21/2025 
Bill Tracking Report 03/7/2025 
Bill Tracking Report 3/14/2025 
Bill Tracking Report 3/21/2025 
Bill Tracking Report 4/04/2025 
Bill Tracking Report 4/11/2025 
Bill Tracking Report 4/17/2025

 

Advocacy Group Resources

American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) - Home - AAPD

 American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today (ADAPT) - Welcome to ADAPT - National ADAPT

 American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR) - Advocacy | ANCOR

 Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) - Action Center - Autistic Self Advocacy Network

 The Arc - Policy and Advocacy | The Arc

 United Cerebral Palsy - Advocacy - United Cerebral Palsy

 

Reimbursement Rate Reductions by Private Insurance Groups - What Can a Professional Association Do?  

State associations cannot and do not have the power to negotiate reimbursement rates for providers. By doing so they could risk violating anti-trust laws.  The laws are designed to protect the consumer and providers are considered sellers.  Insurance companies are considered buyers and buyers are consumers. 

Per the Federal Trade Commission, trade associations such as TOTA may represent its members before legislatures or government agencies, providing valuable information to inform government decisions.  State associations must be careful not to encourage, signal, or promote a boycott of an insurer.  The role of state associations can only be to educate our members. TOTA is committed to providing education and resources to our members on topics such as: 

• Service denial management. 
• The use of appropriate billing codes for services rendered. Companies or clinics that typically use the billing code that yields the highest reimbursement rate for all the services provided could be charged with upcoding.
• Anti-trust laws 

TOTA will focus on empowering our members with knowledge and resources to build and maintain their private practice businesses.  AOTA  provides a wealth of information for entrepreneurs.  You will find them under Private Practice Essentials . We look forward to continuing to serve our members.  If you have questions or comments, please submit them here.  

Familiarize yourselves with the CPT codes available for use and ensure you are using the most appropriate code for the services you are providing.  Click Here for a list of CPT® codes frequently used by occupational therapy practitioners.

 

Got Advocacy? 
Would you like more information about TOTA's role in state Advocacy? 
Would you like quick tips on what you can do today to improve your advocacy for tomorrow? 
TOTA is now offering free presentations for students and practitioners via zoom.  
If you are interested, email [email protected] to request a presentation for your class, clinic, or department.  

  

TOTA PAC:

The Texas Occupational Therapy Association Political Action Committee (TOTA PAC) is a state bipartisan political action committee. TOTA PAC provides financial support to candidates for state offices that support the profession of occupational therapy.