Every day, NATA and the NATA Government Affairs Department are working on behalf of the athletic training profession. With staff members experienced in all aspects of the legislative process, the NATA Government Affairs Department is the sole department focused on advocacy for the profession. NATA’s goal is to ensure that all ATs can work to the fullest extent of their education and skill set. These bipartisan efforts consist of five key areas: state legislation, federal legislation, regulatory, reimbursement and NATAPAC.
NATA Beat, a quarterly eblast, is dedicated to these government affairs efforts, ensuring members have the latest insight into the work being done to advocate for the profession. Accompanying NATA Beat, NATA Now will provide further highlights each quarter in a quick, easy-to-digest format.
Members are encouraged to visit the Advocacy section of the NATA website for further information, exclusive member-only resources and to get involved.
State Legislation
NATA Legislative Boot Camps
- Total completed boot camps: 33
- Completed 2.0 bootcamps: 4
BOC CARE Conference
NATA participated in the virtual BOC Compliance and Regulatory Education (CARE) Conference July 9-10. Nearly 70 people representing 40 states, Washington, D.C., and Canada, participated. The two-day event focused on regulatory best practices for the AT profession.
National Conference of State Legislatures
NATA also exhibited at National Conference of State Legislatures Aug. 5-7 in Louisville, Kentucky, along with 267 other companies and organizations. This is the nation’s largest gathering of state legislators and legislative staff. NATA spoke with hundreds of legislators and distributed state fact sheets. Next year, the conference will be in Boston.
General Updates
- NATA sent nearly 3,600 emails to state legislators from September 2023 to September 2024.
- NATA is currently tracking 122 bills, of which 42 have passed (34%).
- NATA conducted two more advocacy campaigns since the publication of the Summer NATA Beat. The campaigns were support for California Assembly Bill 796 and “thank you” messages to Pennsylvania legislators for passing Senate Bills 559 and 560. There was a combined total of 279 messages sent for an overall total of 2,775 messages sent this year.
Friends of Athletic Training
NATA received 88 nominations from 19 states for the Friends of Athletic Training recognition. Nominations include legislators, regulators, legislative staff, committee staff and other stakeholders, including a lieutenant governor and attorney general.
On the Horizon
- Minnesota TUFSS meeting in late September
- Smart Heart Sports Coalition Conference in September
- 5 NATA Legislative Boot Camps 1.0 scheduled for the fall
- 4 NATA Legislative Boot Camps 2.0 scheduled for the fall
Federal Legislation
118th Congress Highlights
- 17,084 bills have been introduced during the 118th Congress
- 11,142 bills in the House and 5,942 bills in the Senate
- 78 bills passed by Congress have become law
- 1,007 health-related bills have been introduced in the House and 553 in the Senate
- 16 health-related bills have passed the House, 6 have passed the Senate and 3 have been signed into law
Congressional Retirements
- 28 Democrats and 23 Republicans aren’t returning for the 119th Congress
- 10 members of Congress left office before the end of their term
- 5 House members and 1 Senator passed away while in office
- 28 House members and 7 Senators are retiring at the end of the 118th Congress
- 12 House members and 1 Senator are seeking other elected office
- 5 House members lost their primary election
NATA’s Legislative Activity
- NATA is tracking more than 105 bills in the House and Senate.
- NATA has covered more 50 Congressional hearings and committee markups.
- NATA has endorsed 15 bills in the 118th Congress.
Recent NATA-Endorsed Legislation
- The Public Health Infrastructure Saves Lives Act (S. 1995) seeks to modernize public health infrastructure at the state, local and tribal levels by establishing the Core Public Health Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This program would be responsible for disbursing grants to state, local and tribal health departments to ensure that these agencies have the tools and specialized workforce to combat existing and emerging public health threats, as well as ensure that these health departments are equipped with the “foundational capabilities of public health.” These capabilities include conducting disease surveillance, responding to public health threats, translating public health science into effective messaging and preventing and eliminating health disparities.
- The Improving Social Determinants of Health Act of 2024 (H.R. 7481 and S. 3847) is bicameral legislation intended to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities through stronger CDC coordination and increased focus on social determinants of health. The bill would authorize $100 million annually for the CDC to award grants to state, local, territorial and tribal health agencies to address social determinants of health in their communities, such as housing insecurity, food insecurity and the availability of medical care. Additionally, the bill permits the CDC to award grants to nonprofits and institutions of higher education that research social determinants of health and provide technical assistance to community grantees on best practices. Last, H.R. 7481 and S. 3847 require that the CDC ensure programs consider social determinants of health in its activities and collect and analyze data related to social determinants of health.
Upcoming Legislative Action
- During the coming months, the focus will be mostly on the presidential and congressional elections. There isn’t expected to be any major legislative movement during this time.
- Funding for the federal government will expire Sept. 30 unless Congress passes a continuing resolution. As of August, the House has passed five of the 12 appropriations bills that fund the government. The Senate has not passed any appropriations bills yet.
- House Republicans are backing a longer continuing resolution beyond the election, while House Democrats favor a short-term bill to extend government operations.
- Other important federal programs face potential lapses in funding without congressional action, including the National Flood Insurance Program and the Farm Bill, both of which expire Sept. 30. Cuts to Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital are also scheduled to begin at the end of the calendar year.
Regulatory
- NATA produced a fact sheet on the U.S. Department of Labor’s May interpretation letter clarifying employer musculoskeletal injury recordkeeping duties when athletic trainers provide first aid and exercise or stretching.
- NATA submitted three comment letters in response to: 1) the CMS CY 2025 Physician Fee Schedule, 2) National Institutes of Health’s Request for Information on the Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative and 3) National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases’ Strategic Plan for FY 2025-29.
Reimbursement
Meetings and Encounters
- From Jan. 1-Aug. 31, 122 meetings and encounters have taken place with state associations, employers, athletic training education programs and payors.
- Since 2018, more than 1,476 meetings and encounters have taken place.
NATA Third Party Reimbursement Boot Camps
The NATA Third Party Reimbursement Boot Camp is available to all state associations and, to date, have been conducted in 13 states below:
- Missouri (November 2020)
- Connecticut (December 2020)
- Michigan (January 2021)
- New Mexico (February 2021)
- Wisconsin (June 2021)
- Minnesota (June 2021)
- Utah (July 2021)
- Virginia (July 2021)
- Nebraska (November 2021)
- Indiana (January 2022)
- Illinois (February 2022)
- Florida (October 2023)
- South Carolina (November 2023)
General Updates
- Formal recognition secured for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia. Multiple other efforts with BCBS entities are in progress.
- A data-sharing agreement has been reached with a large academic institution that contains 10 years of data utilizing ATs as autonomous billable providers working under referral in an outpatient rehabilitation setting. There will be more than 6,500 unique patients cared for by ATs in this data set. The data will be used to publish an important descriptive manuscript and payor-cost outcome peer-reviewed manuscript. This data is now in the hands of academicians.
- NATA updated the Coding Overview and Commonly Used Codes document and created a new Medical Necessity and Athletic Training document.
- NATA is continuing evaluating the process and potential platform for the creation of an NATA Third Party Reimbursement Communication Network.
- NATA is currently evaluating the feasibility for a 2025 National Reimbursement Symposium that will likely be held in the fall of 2025.
- Members can use NATA’s resources specific to understanding third party reimbursement, available on the NATA Third Party Reimbursement webpage.
NATAPAC
NATAPAC Sweepstakes
The NATAPAC Board of Directors is excited to announce the fourth annual NATAPAC Sweepstakes, held Sept. 11-30. This year, members will have the chance to win one of three prizes: $500 Amazon gift card, $500 Airfare gift card and a $500 Apple gift card.
Started during the COVID-19 pandemic, the sweepstakes has grown into an integral part of NATAPAC’s annual fundraising efforts. Last year, the sweepstakes raised more than $10,000 for the first time ever, and our goal is to once again raise $10,000 in 2024. We can only do this with the participation and support of our members. This is a fun and effective way to support the NATAPAC while also having the chance to win a great prize!
Learn more about the official rules and purchase tickets starting Sept. 11.
Chuck Kimmel Memorial NATAPAC Luncheon
During the 75th NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo, the NATAPAC convention event featured two firsts: a move from breakfast to lunch and renaming to the Chuck Kimmel Memorial NATAPAC Lunch. The lunch was a resounding success with more than 225 attendees raising more than $10,000, making it the largest convention NATAPAC event since 2019.
The lunch began with remarks from Outgoing NATAPAC Board Chair Mark Letendre, ATC, who welcomed attendees and extended his thanks to those who have contributed throughout the year. He also applauded those who sponsored tickets for the event, allowing 70 students and early professionals to attend.
NATA Hall of Fame member and former District Nine Director Marisa Brunett, MS, LAT, ATC, delivered the keynote address, which honored the late Chuck Kimmel, NATA’s 10th president. Brunett reflected on Kimmel’s contributions to NATA and the profession and highlighted how NATAPAC was Kimmel’s brainchild. Brunett challenged attendees to keep Kimmel’s legacy alive by joining the “625 Club,” where members commit to a monthly donation of $6.25 or more. This amount adds up to $75, perfect for commemorating the NATA convention’s 75th anniversary and NATA’s 75th anniversary.
Kimmel was fond of saying that he was planting seeds to trees that others would enjoy. Brunett encouraged attendees to sow their own seeds and plant more trees in Kimmel’s memory. Members can make a contribution in memory of Chuck Kimmel.
New NATAPAC Board
The NATAPAC would like to welcome new chair and district directors for the 2024-25 board of directors:
- NATAPAC Chair Karen Fennell, MS, LAT, ATC
- District Three Director Steven Cole, MEd, LAT, ATC
- District Ten Director Tony Fitzpatrick, MA, LAT, ATC
- District Eleven Director Chris (Gorby) Gebeck, LAT, ATC, OTC
Members who are looking for insight into NATA’s international resources and information can visit the International section of the NATA website.
