HR5621-119

What This Bill Does

The Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act of 2025 addresses physical therapy shortages in underserved areas. The findings state that physical therapists help prevent, treat, and manage pain, including for people with substance use disorder risk, and support rehabilitation for chronic health conditions related to COVID-19. The bill adds physical therapy to National Health Service Corps health professional target areas and requires HHS to identify physical therapy health professional target areas and assign Corps physical therapists to those areas. It makes people with doctoral or master's degrees in physical therapy eligible for the NHSC Loan Repayment Program and clarifies that eligible professionals may participate in other HHS repayment programs if otherwise eligible. It increases a Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act funding amount from $172,972,603 to $187,972,603 and requires at least $15 million of that amount for loan repayments to physical therapists in the NHSC Loan Repayment Program. Finally, it amends Medicare rural health clinic and federally qualified health center service definitions so physical therapy services furnished by a physical therapist are covered for services on or after January 1, 2027.

Who Benefits and How

Physical therapists benefit because they become eligible for NHSC shortage-area assignments and loan repayment support. Patients in medically underserved areas benefit from more physical therapy workforce capacity for pain management and rehabilitation. Rural health clinics benefit because Medicare-covered clinic services would include physical therapy services starting January 1, 2027. Federally qualified health centers benefit because physical therapy services furnished by physical therapists become part of covered FQHC services.

Who Bears the Burden and How

HHS workforce staff must identify physical therapy target areas and administer physical therapist NHSC assignments. NHSC loan repayment administrators must reserve at least $15 million for physical therapist loan repayments. CMS payment staff must implement Medicare rural health clinic and FQHC coverage for physical therapy services. Federal taxpayers fund the increased NHSC repayment amount and any Medicare spending from expanded clinic services.

Key Provisions

• Adds physical therapists to National Health Service Corps target-area and assignment rules.
• Expands NHSC Loan Repayment Program eligibility to physical therapists with doctoral or master's degrees.
• Provides at least $15 million for physical therapist NHSC loan repayments.
• Expands Medicare rural health clinic and FQHC services to include physical therapy services starting January 1, 2027.