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Advocacy Goals

  • Passage of Licenusre Compact
  • Inclusion in Medicaid Expansion Legislation
  • Increase Awarenss of OT
  • Advocate for or against any relevant legislation


Legislative Task Force

  • Meets on an as needed basis to discuss legislative/advocacy issue
  • Must be a MOTA Member to join
  • Open to students and practitioners
  • Email MOTAGovAffairs@gmail.com if interested

Advocacy Day


  • First Wednesday in March
  • Takes place in Jefferson City, MO
  • Advocate for occupational therapy on the state level
  • Network with other practitioners and students

MOTA Advocating for Licensure Compact Legislation For 2021 Season!

Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact Legislation

Section-by-Section Summary

Fact Sheet for Practitioners

FAQ for Licensure Compact

AOTA Licensure Compact Page


www.otcompact.org


Current Phase: Seek sponsors for our bill in MO House and Senate

MOTA Hires Legislative Consultant First Time in 3 Years

Clarice Grote, MOTA Director of Practice - 11/25/2020

MOTA Hires Legislative Consultant for First Time in 3 Years

 

MOTA is excited to announce that we have hired Kyna Iman as our legislative consultant for the coming year.

 

It’s time for Missouri Occupational Therapy Practitioners to have a seat at the table!

 

Having a legislative consultant is vital to our efforts to improve MOTA’s efficacy in advocating for occupational therapy in the state of Missouri.

 

By being a member and encouraging others to join, you are a vital part of this initiative. We are able to support this effort because of Members like you!

 

Why We Need a Legislative Consultant:

  1. Transition from ‘monitoring’ to ‘advocating’ for or against relevant legislation
  2. Have a seat at the decision making table
  3. Pass Licensure Compact (This cost is being supported by AOTA)
  4. Advocate for changes to Medicaid to improve OTAs as eligible providers, increase reimbursement, and expand coverage of OT services to adults on Medicaid
  5. Assist with setting up key meetings with leadership
  6. Assist in building relationships with key officials in state departments
  7. Assist with developing our advocacy day and identifying key legislation
  8. Identify legislation that may need to be modified before it passed or before it is introduced on the floor
  9. Assist with appointments to licensure board

 

MOTA Decision Making Process:

  1. AOTA State Affairs identified 3 consultant groups that did not have conflicts of interest
  2. MOTA selected two groups to interview via zoom
    1. Who participated in these meetings? Clarice Grote, Director of Practice, Amy Stark, President, Michelle Jackson, Governmental Affairs Chair, and Ashlea Cardin, Treasurer
  3. Kyna Iman was selected as the top candidate
  4. Kyan spoke with Members and MOTA Board on October 26, 2020
    1. Board voted to pursue a contract with Kyna and negotiate cost
  5. Kyna provided contract proposal for a variety of services at the cost of $5000 per year
  6. MOTA Board voted to approve this contract on November 14, 2020

 

 

Aproximately 40% of your dues are allocated to lobbying efforts.

 

How Can I Help?

  1. Continue to support MOTA through membership
  2. Encourage your coworkers and friends to join MOTA
  3. Join our Legislative Task Force
  4. Participate in our Advocacy Day in March

 

How Can I Find out More Information on Advocacy Initiatives?

  1. Visit our advocacy page on the MOTA website
  2. Join the Legislative Task Force
  3. Follow us on Facebook. www.facebook.com/MissouriOTAssoc

 

Have any questions? What to get involved? Send us an email!

 

Clarice, Director of Practice - motapractice@gmail.com

Michelle, Governmental Affairs Chair - motagovaffairs@gmail.com

Telehealth

MO Practice Act: The MO OT Practice Act does not restrict occupational therapy practitioners from engaging in telehealth. Supervision requirements of OTA must still be followed. 


Medicaid: Occupational therapists are approved providers for telehealth under MO Medicaid if they are registered provers through MO HealthNET

Read More on telehealth and COVID -19 for MO Medicaid

MO Medicaid Provider Bulletin on Telehealth

MO Medicaid Therapy Provider Manual


Licensing: MO Medicaid has waived the requirement that in order to treat patients in MO via telemedicine/telehealth, health care providers must be fully licensed to practice in MO. MHD allows practitioners to bill for telehealth as long as they are licensed in the state where they practice. This is only effective under the 1135 wavier for the State of Emergency in MIssouri. Providers must still be enrolled as MHD providers. 


Medicare has approved occupational therapy as a covered service for telehealth under the State of the Emergency in states that are currently experiencing the emergency. There has been expansion of coverage for e-visits but there are numerous restrictions. Read more at AOTA's COVID-19 Telehealth Update. 


Follow AOTA's updates at https://www.aota.org/coronavirus for the latest information and practice guidance!

Medicaid Expansion

Medicaid expansion was approved by Missourians on August 4th. This was a Constitutional Ammendment so it must be implemented as written. MOTA is following this situation closely and will be looking for ways to advocate for occupational therapy services.

 

MOTA Goals:

  1. Exand coverage of OT services to include adults on Medicaid
  2. Expand coverage to include OTAs as qualified providers
  3. Increase reimbursment

 

What MOTA is Doing:

  1. Hired a legislative consultant
  2. Building startegic relatinoships with leadership
  3. Research current Medicaid payment structure
  4. Identify opportunities to cause change
  5. Advocate for inclusion of OT in bills related to Medicaid Expansion

AOTA Resources



Federal Advocacy: www.aota.org/takeaction


PDPM - SNF

Value-Based Care Resources

PDGM - Home Health Part A