Two Occupational Therapy Students Lobby on Capitol Hill

Julianne D’Amico and Lydia Reppucci promote EMPOWER and Expanded Telehealth Access bills

Two graduate students in Sacred Heart University’s occupational therapy (OT) program―Julianne D’Amico ’22, MSOT ’24 and Lydia Reppucci ’22, MSOT ’24―recently met with congressional staff in Washington, D.C., to discuss bills concerning occupational therapists and their patients. 

“I’ve always been interested in advocacy,” said D’Amico. “When this opportunity came along, I jumped on the chance to lobby for patients’ access to health care. It’s so important to educate those in power about the role occupational therapy plays in people’s lives.”

The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) organizes AOTA Hill Day every year as an opportunity for those in the field to meet with lawmakers. This year, the organization scheduled meetings for participants to talk to their respective representatives about two pieces of legislature: the Enabling More of the Physical and Occupational Workforce to Engage in Rehabilitation Act, also called the EMPOWER Act (H.R. 4878/S. 2459), and the Expanded Telehealth Access Act (H.R. 3875/S. 2880). 

The EMPOWER Act advocates changing Medicare language to allow OT and physical therapy (PT) assistants in private practices to work with Medicare patients without direct supervision from registered therapists.

The SHU students support the legislation because, they said, OT and PT assistants are often responsible for carrying out treatment plans that registered therapists prescribe. Plus, they added, assistants charge a lower rate than their registered counterparts. “This legislation would allow occupational therapy assistants to practice more fully in the community, meaning there would be increased services available to people in rural areas,” said Reppucci. “It also could mean lower costs for people in need who require occupational therapy.”

The expanded telehealth bill would permanently add occupational therapists and OT assistants, as well as physical therapists, speech-language pathologists and audiologists, to the list of Medicare telehealth providers. The bill would not only increase accessibility to medical care for homebound patients, but also would allow for telehealth home tours, which allow OTs to identify safety issues, such as fall hazards in people’s homes, the SHU students said. 

D’Amico was grouped with five other students for AOTA Hill Day and met with the legislative directors for U.S. Reps. Bill Pascrell (D) and Thomas Kean, Jr. (R), who represent their home state, New Jersey. “We were supposed to meet with Sen. Corey Booker (D) in person, but he had to cancel,” said D’Amico. 

“Representative Pascrell’s director was very interested in the bills and on board with what we were looking for,” said D’Amico. “I was a little nervous because Rep. Kean’s policy goes against expanding Medicare, which is what the bills we were discussing advocate.” She said Kean’s assistant expressed support for the telehealth bill but said he and Kean will have to take a closer look at the EMPOWER Act. 

Reppucci, the only student participant from Maine, met alone with staff members of legislators for her state: Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D) and Sens. Susan Collins (R) and Angus King (I). 

“Because Maine is so rural, I explained how essential it is that occupational therapists be allowed to have their assistants carry out home visits for treatment,” said Reppucci, adding that the response was “overwhelmingly positive” regarding both bills. “Everyone said that what we were looking for aligns with their goals. It was an empowering experience to speak with the people who can promote change in our government and health care. It was refreshing to know that your voice can be heard.”

Reppucci found the experience valuable. “As students, we have a lot of new and innovative knowledge in the field,” she said. “Students bring a fresh perspective to the change we want to see in health care.”

D’Amico was initially nervous about talking to politicians but overcame her fears. “We are inevitably the future of occupational therapy,” she said. “It’s important for us to get involved and guide the profession forward. We want occupational therapy to be accessible to as many people as possible.”