{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://paulsen.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=22&itemid=1923", "Paulsen, Kind, Blackburn, and Matsui Applaud Agreement to Repeal Harmful Medicare Therapy Cap", "2017-11-06", "2017", "2017-11", "Republican", "House", "MN", "Erik Paulsen", "P000594", "paulsen.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.\u00a0\u2013 Congressman Erik Paulsen (MN-03), Congressman Ron Kind (WI-03), Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn (TN-07), and Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-06) released the following statements welcoming the bipartisan agreement by the Ways and Means Committee and the Energy and Commerce Committee to permanently remove Medicare\u2019s cap on outpatient therapy. This agreement is based on the Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act, introduced by the aforementioned Representatives earlier this year, which ensures seniors receive the care that they need.\r\n\r\n\tIn 1997, Congress placed an annual cap of $1,980 on physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology services under Medicare. Since enacting this cap, Congress has recognized the potential harmful effect on Medicare beneficiaries and has acted several times to prevent its full implementation and allow an exception process for \u201cmedically necessary\u201d treatments.\r\n\r\n\t\u201cOur seniors depend on access to physical, speech, and occupational therapies and, thanks to this bipartisan agreement, they will be able to receive these services,\u201d said Congressman Paulsen.\u00a0\u201cI am pleased that the therapy caps, which I have worked to repeal, will be permanently ended beginning in January.\u201d\r\n\r\n\t\u201cI am glad that we were able to work together to provide certainty to thousands of Wisconsin seniors who use physical, occupational, and speech therapy to continue living their lives to the fullest,\u201d said Congressman Kind.\u00a0\u201cWith this bipartisan agreement Wisconsin seniors will no longer face arbitrary rules and can receive the quality care they deserve.\u201d\r\n\r\n\t\u201cFor far too long we have kicked the can down the road on therapy caps,\u201d said Congresswoman Blackburn.\u00a0\u201cOur nation\u2019s seniors deserve a permanent fix, granting them the certainty and access to quality therapeutic services they need. I have been working for years to put an end to the caps and I am pleased we came to a bipartisan agreement to do so. But our work is not yet done \u2013 it is imperative we find a fiscally responsible way to ensure this policy becomes law, so it doesn\u2019t act as an additional burden on the American taxpayer.\u201d\r\n\r\n\t\u201cFollowing an illness or injury, seniors need access to the care that allows them to recover in their communities,\u201d said Congresswoman Matsui.\u00a0\u201cThat is why Reps. Paulsen, Kind, Blackburn, and I lead H.R. 807 to repeal Medicare\u2019s arbitrary caps on outpatient therapy. I\u2019m pleased that our Committees have come together with this bipartisan framework to ensure physical, speech, and occupational therapy remains accessible for older Americans. With this framework, we would close a loophole and bolster the essential services provided through Medicare in our country.\u201d\r\n\r\n\tCongressman Paulsen, a champion of small business and advocate of free enterprise, entrepreneurship, and innovation, serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, the bicameral Joint Economic Committee, and is co-chair of the Congressional Medical Technology Caucus.\r\n\r\n\tFor more information on Congressman Paulsen\u2019s work in Congress visit\u00a0paulsen.house.gov.\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://paulsen.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=22&itemid=1923"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7078859489411116, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}