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AAPM&R is Calling for a Comprehensive National Plan to Address the Needs of Millions Suffering from Long COVID

According to two publications from the Journal of the American Medical Association, ten to thirty percent of individuals who had COVID-19 reported at least one persistent symptom up to six months after the virus left their bodies. That means 3 to 10 million Americans are experiencing symptoms of Long COVID or Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), which are varied and ongoing, including neurological challenges, cognitive problems such as brain fog, shortness of breath, fatigue, pain, and mobility issues.

In 2021, AAPM&R called on President Joe Biden and Congress to gear up for the next coronavirus crisis by preparing and implementing a comprehensive national plan focused on meeting the needs of millions of individuals suffering from the long-term symptoms of COVID-19, and help them regain quality of life and return to being active members of their communities. The plan must include a commitment to three major components:

  • Resources to build necessary infrastructure to meet this crisis
  • Equitable access to care for patients
  • Research to advance medical understanding of Long COVID

PM&R physicians are uniquely qualified to help guide the multidisciplinary effort needed to develop a plan for this crisis. As a specialty, physiatrists are investigators, team leaders and problem solvers. PM&R physicians see the whole patient AND the whole picture of the rehabilitation ecosystem. Physiatrists are exactly what this crisis needs. Learn more about our Multidisciplinary PASC Collaborative, launched in March 2021, which is working on quality improvement initiatives.

AAPM&R Advocacy, Healthcare Collaborations and Partnerships, and Customized Resources to Support PM&R During This Crisis

AAPM&R is working to ensure PM&R is part of the national conversation about healthcare amidst COVID-19 and advocating for the federal support, legislation, regulation relief and resources that physiatrists need now. One way we are doing this is through our partnerships and collaborations with other specialty societies. The Academy continuously works to represent PM&R through these collaborations, and it is through these partnerships that we are able to discuss and share a variety of resources with you that you critically need.

Stay Up-to-Date

Breaking: AAPM&R Supports Stimulus Package to Aid and Protect Physicians and Patients

Mar 23, 2020

AAPM&R and Other Medical Societies Urge Congress to Help Physicians Sustain Practices and Ensure Vital Access to PPE

On March 22, AAPM&R joined in collaboration with the American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Physicians, and other organized medicine groups to sign on to a letter urging Congress to include in the final “stimulus” legislation, specific provisions to help physicians sustain their practices and provide their patients with the best possible care during the COVID-19 emergency.

Specifically, the letter asks Congress to include measures that support and sustain physicians and their practices during this unprecedented national emergency in their legislation through tax relief, no-interest loans, direct payments, payment for virtual visits including phone calls, and other measures. The letter also strongly urges Congress to take all possible actions to ensure that every physician, and every health care worker, has access to critically-needed PPE.

As other societies continue to sign-on to the letter, they will be added to the official letter, including AAPM&R.

Practices are experiencing huge reductions in revenue while still having to pay rent, meet payroll, and meet other expenses without patients coming into their practices. In this letter, we are recommending that the stimulus package:

  1. Require all payers, including ERISA plans, to provide coverage and payment for audio-only telehealth visits with patients, at the same level as in-person visits.
  2. Provide dedicated and direct financial support to physicians and their practices on the front lines of testing, diagnosing, and treating patients at risk of COVID-19, recognizing the increased costs they are incurring in the care of such patients.
  3. Provide dedicated financial support to all physicians and their practices who are experiencing adverse economic impact on their practices from suspending elective visits and procedures.

We are also urging Congress to increase funding and all possible actions must be taken to increase the capacity to manufacture, acquire, and distribute PPE.

Please read the full letter here. We will keep you updated on the outcomes of this and are continuing to add resources in our COVID-19 Physiatrist Member Support and Resource Center.