Martin Heinrich
06/03/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/03/2026 10:51
Heinrich, Rounds Introduce Legislation to Improve Americans’ Access to Physical Therapy, Address Healthcare Workforce Shortage
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) led the introduction of the bipartisan, bicameral Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act, legislation to improve Americans' access to physical therapy and address the healthcare workforce shortage in rural communities.
Many communities designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) face limited access to rehabilitative care and evidence-based, non-opioid treatment options, even as demand for physical therapy continues to grow. The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has designated 32 of 33 New Mexico counties as HPSAs.
This legislation helps address longstanding healthcare workforce shortages by integrating licensed physical therapists into key federal safety-net programs, expanding access to rehabilitative care in rural communities, and enabling community health centers to offer more physical therapy services.
Specifically, the Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act:
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Adds physical therapists as eligible providers under the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayment Program, which supports primary care clinicians through scholarships and loan repayment programs, in exchange for serving in rural and Tribal communities with limited access to care.
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Participation in the NHSC Loan Repayment Program is currently limited to physicians, physician assistants, dentists, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, and behavioral health providers.
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More than 80 percent of providers who participate in the NHSC continue practicing in a Health Professional Shortage Area after fulfilling their service commitment, and nearly half remain in those communities for at least a decade.
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Expands community health centers' ability to provide physical therapy services by clarifying that physical therapists can bill Medicare and Medicaid directly.
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Expands care options for community health centers, without imposing any requirement to provide physical therapy services.
Companion legislation has been introduced in the House by U.S. Representatives Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and Morgan H. Griffith (R-Va.).
The legislation is endorsed by the National Association of Community Health Centers, the National Rural Health Association, the National Association of Rural Health Clinics, the American Health Care Association, American Physical Therapy Association, and more. A full list of endorsers is here.
"APTA thanks Sens. Heinrich and Rounds for their leadership in introducing the Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act," said American Physical Therapy Association President Kyle Covington, PT, DPT, PhD. "This bipartisan legislation will strengthen the physical therapist workforce and improve access to care in rural and underserved communities. Including physical therapists in the National Health Service Corps and expanding flexibility for community health centers will help ensure patients receive essential services to prevent disability, manage chronic conditions, and improve quality of life."
A one-page summary of the bill is here.
A section-by-section summary is here.
The text of the bill is here.
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