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LEGISLATIVE ALERT - IATA Governmental Affairs

All IATA members are requested to contact your State Representative IMMEDIATELY and request their support of HB 1098.

House Bill 1098 is being presented for consideration and is currently assigned to the House of Representatives Labor Committee.  It is scheduled for a hearing Wednesday, January 13 at 8:30 AM.  If passed by both the House and Senate…

Our proposed legislation (HB 1098) will expand access for Hoosiers and will allow physicians to choose how and to whom to delegate the delivery of physical medicine and rehabilitation services.

Our proposed legislation (HB 1098) is not a mandate of insurance reimbursement for anything not currently provided to our Hoosier patients, but rather simply seeks reimbursement for services an athletic trainer has been educated to provide and licensed to perform in Indiana. 

Here are educational points to stress to your State Representative.

Indiana Licensed Athletic Trainers:

• 100% hold bachelor’s degrees from an accredited four year educational institution, with eighty percent (80%) of athletic trainers attaining advanced degrees.

• are Indiana Licensed healthcare providers and part of a patient’s healthcare delivery team. 

• have been recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA) and American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) as allied healthcare providers.

• are employed in a variety of work setting that include, but are not limited to:

·        Interscholastic Athletic Programs

·        Intercollegiate Athletic Programs

·        Professional Athletic Teams

·        Corporate Health Programs

·        Sports Medicine Clinics

·        Health Clubs

·        Hospital Rehabilitation Clinics

·        Clinical and Industrial Healthcare Companies

·        Athletic Training Curriculum Programs

To leave a phone message for your State Representative, please call the Statehouse House of Representatives, (317) 232-9600 or 1-800-382-9842 and ask for your State Representative.  You will be transferred to his/her Legislative Assistant.   You should ask to leave the following message

“My name is (state your name) and I live at (insert your address)   I would like Representative (insert Rep’s name) to support HB 1098.   I would be happy to talk to Rep. (insert Rep’s name) if they have any questions.  Here is my phone number.   Thank you.”

If you would rather e-mail your Representative, we have a letter template you can adapt.  E-mail any questions or need clarification, call Rick Shaw at (317) 839-5433 or e-mail RICKASHAW@aol.com  Time is critical and your profession needs your participation!  Please ask for support of House Bill 1098 now!

Here are some tools to assist you in talking with your State Representative:

• Talking Points
• Legislation Support Letter
• Licensed Athletic Trainer not Trainer
• Athletic Training Essentials

 

APTA Lawsuit Update from District 4 Director Mark Gibson

 

The NATA announced that an out-of-court settlement was reached in its Fair Practice Lawsuit against the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) on Sept. 21, 2009.  The NATA filed suit against the APTA for antitrust violations that unfairly restricted athletic trainers from practicing manual therapy.  NATA filed the civil lawsuit in February 2008 because of ongoing anti-competitive actions taken by the APTA.  NATA was informed by several members in Fall 2007 that the APTA and the Orthopaedic Section of the APTA had taken actions to restrict athletic trainers’ access to education in – and the practice of – manual therapy techniques.  Manual therapy is included in the athletic training competencies, scope of practice and licensure. NATA believed that this was another in a long series of attempts to limit access to continuing education on manual therapy.  This limitation was an attempt to prevent athletic trainers from competing fairly with physical therapists in providing physical medicine and rehabilitation services.

The settlement agreement is known as the “Joint Statement on Cooperation” between NATA and APTA.  It is a public document that will be displayed prominently and be readily accessible for members by both Associations for the next three years.  Click here to read the Joint Statement on Cooperation.

 

Indiana’s Commission on Sports Medicine Supports Heat Acclimation Guidelines

 

Indianapolis (September 17, 2009) — At the September 16, 2009 meeting of the Indiana State Medical Association - Sports Medicine Section, the topic of the IATA pre-season heat acclimatization guidelines for secondary schools was discussed.  Earlier this summer, the IATA announced their endorsement of the NATA’s consensus statement on preseason heat acclimation guidelines at the secondary school level.

John Locke, IATA President Elect, attended the meeting and specifically requested the Commission on Sports Medicine to publicly endorse and back these guidelines.  The Commission’s vote on the issue was unanimously in favor of endorsing and backing the guidelines.

Craig Voll, IATA President, stated “This is an important first step to hopefully getting the IHSAA (Indiana High School Athletic Association) to mandate the heat acclimatization guidelines.  The IHSAA will be bringing this topic up for discussion at their next Executive meeting.”

 

The Indiana Athletic Trainers Association Endorses Preseason Guidelines for Secondary School Athletics

 

Indianapolis (July 29, 2009) — The Indiana Athletic Trainers’ Association announced today that they concur with and endorse a recent consensus statement by a national panel regarding preseason heat acclimation guidelines for the secondary school athlete.

IATA President Craig Voll, Jr., stated “We believe these guidelines fall directly in line with the IATA’s mission of providing outstanding healthcare for physically active Hoosiers.  Given the scope and number of young lives these guidelines would help protect we felt that not only an endorsement of these guidelines was in order but also to continue our efforts in educating all coaches, parents, and athletes in the dangers of heat related injury.  It is our hope that through these guidelines and education in general, that we are able to eliminate all heat related injuries including heat related death.”

The consensus statement lists seven key recommendations for a 14-day heat-acclimatization period prior to full-scale athletic participation by secondary school students, as follows:

1. During the first five days of the heat-acclimatization process, athletes may not participate in more than one practice per day.
2. If a practice is interrupted by inclement weather or heat restrictions, the practice should recommence once conditions are deemed safe, but total practice time should not exceed three hours per day.
3. A one-hour maximum walk-through is permitted during the first five days of the heat-acclimatization period; however, a three-hour recovery period should be inserted between the practice and walk-through (or vice versa).
4. During the first two days of the heat-acclimatization period, in sports requiring helmets or shoulder pads, a helmet should be the only protective equipment permitted (goalies, as in the case of field hockey and related sports, should not wear full protective gear or perform activities that would require protective equipment). During days three through five, only helmets and shoulder pads should be worn. Beginning on day six, all protective equipment may be worn and full contact may begin.
5. Beginning no earlier than the sixth day and continuing through the 14th day, double-practice days must be followed by a single-practice day. On single-practice days, one walk-through is permitted, but it must be separated from the practice by at least three hours of continuous rest. When a double-practice day is followed by a rest day, another double-practice day is permitted after the rest day.
6. On a double-practice day, neither practice’s duration should exceed three hours total, and student-athletes should not participate in more than five total hours of practice. Warm-up, stretching, cool-down, walkthrough, conditioning and weight-room activities are included as part of the practice time. The two practices should be separated by at least three continuous hours in a cool environment
7. Because the risk of exertional heat illnesses during the pre-season heat-acclimatization period is high, the consensus statement strongly recommends that an athletic trainer be on site before, during and after all practices.

The task force that issued the original consensus statement was comprised of the following organizations:

• National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA)
• Gatorade Sports Science Institute
• United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine
• American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine
• American Medical Society for Sports Medicine
• American Academy of Pediatrics
• American College of Sports Medicine
• National Strength and Conditioning Association

Click here for the full version of the consensus statement.

 

Athletic training bill still needs your support!

 

Congressman Ed Towns (NY-10) introduced the Athletic Trainers' Equal Access to Medicare Act of 2009 (ATEAM) -- H.R. 1137 -- into the House of Representatives. This bill would improve patient access to athletic trainers, allow physician choice of a wider range of qualified health care professionals, and restore the ability of athletic trainers to work incident-to a physician.

Contact your member of the House today and encourage him/her to co-sponsor H.R. 1137.  Download your copy here.

TAKE ACTION!  Visit NATA's Legislative Alert Center. 

 

High School Committee Looking for Southeast Member

 

If you live in Southeast Indiana and are interested in being part of the High School Committee, please contact Ryan Fagan for more information!