Pelvic Health Bill Introduced in House of Representatives

Thanks to the hard work of the Academy of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy’s Pre-Natal & 4th Trimester Legislative Task Force and APTA advocates, legislation addressing pelvic health physical therapy was introduced in the House of Representatives (H.R. 8181) by Congresswomen Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE). Pelvic health physical therapy is a vital part of recovery in the postpartum period. It can aid in muscle control, tissue repair, and help heal internal portions of cesarean section scars. However, many mothers lack access to and awareness of the benefits of pelvic health physical therapy. Even some health care providers may not understand the importance of pelvic health physical therapy in the postpartum period. This legislation is designed to address these knowledge and access gaps by providing guidance to state Medicaid and CHIP programs administering pelvic health services performed during the postpartum or neonatal period. It also authorizes programs to raise both provider and patient awareness of the importance of pelvic health examinations and pelvic health physical therapy. Big thank you to our Task Force members! We couldn’t have done it without the dedication and hard work of our Academy task force members!

Kim Parker-Guerrero (Board Liaison), Gail Zitterkopf (Chair), Avery Michele Madden, Gina M. Cunningham, Ginger Garner, Jenni Gabelsberg, Jennifer Lynn Briggs, Karen Weeks, Nicole Motzny, Noam Eitan