Official Summaries

Stopping Addiction and Falls for the Elderly Act or the SAFE Act

This bill incorporates risk assessments and prevention services for falls into annual wellness visits and initial preventive physical exams under Medicare, as well as associated services provided by physical therapists and occupational therapists.

Current Full Text

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1171 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1171

  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to include physical 
  therapists and occupational therapists as health professionals for 
 purposes of the annual wellness visit under the Medicare program, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 10, 2025

Mrs. Miller of West Virginia (for herself and Ms. Stansbury) introduced 
 the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
  Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to include physical 
  therapists and occupational therapists as health professionals for 
 purposes of the annual wellness visit under the Medicare program, and 
                          for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Stopping Addiction and Falls for the 
Elderly Act'' or the ``SAFE Act''.

SEC. 2. PHYSICAL THERAPY AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY BENEFIT IN THE 
              MEDICARE ANNUAL WELLNESS VISIT AND INITIAL PREVENTIVE 
              PHYSICAL EXAM.

    (a) Annual Wellness Visit.--
            (1) In general.--Section 1861(hhh) of the Social Security 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(hhh)) is amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``; 
                        and'' and inserting a semicolon;
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking 
                        the period at the end and inserting ``; and''; 
                        and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following 
                        new subparagraph:
            ``(C) that, in the case of an individual who has been 
        determined by a physician to have fallen in the previous 
        calendar year, includes a falls risk assessment and fall 
        prevention services.''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (3)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``or'' 
                        at the end;
                            (ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking the 
                        period at the end and inserting ``; or''; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following 
                        new subparagraph:
            ``(D) in the case of an individual described in paragraph 
        (1)(C), a physical therapist or an occupational therapist 
        furnishing a separate falls risk assessment and fall prevention 
        services.''.
            (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) 
        shall apply to annual wellness visits furnished on or after 
        January 1, 2026.
    (b) Initial Preventive Physical Examination.--
            (1) In general.--Section 1861(ww)(2) of the Social Security 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(ww)(2)) is amended--
                    (A) in subparagraph (N), by moving the margins of 
                such subparagraph 2 ems to the left;
                    (B) by redesignating subparagraph (O) as 
                subparagraph (P); and
                    (C) by inserting after subparagraph (N) the 
                following new subparagraph:
            ``(O) In the case of an individual that has been determined 
        by a physician to have experienced a fall in the previous 
        calendar year, outpatient occupational therapy services (as 
        defined in subsection (g)) and outpatient physical therapy 
        services (as defined in subsection (p)).''.
            (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) 
        shall apply to initial preventive physical examinations 
        furnished on or after January 1, 2026.

SEC. 3. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.

    Beginning January 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services shall submit to Congress a report on the 
number of falls (as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention) experienced by individuals aged 65 and older that received 
treatment for pain or injury related to a fall or falls experienced in 
the previous calendar year. With respect to each subsequent report, 
such Secretary shall include the data reported in previous years and 
describe any changes from year to year.
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