Bill > S2612

This bill, known as the Stopping Addiction and Falls for the Elderly Act (SAFE Act), aims to enhance Medicare coverage for falls prevention and treatment for older adults. Specifically, the bill amends the Social Security Act to include physical therapists and occupational therapists as eligible health professionals for annual wellness visits and initial preventive physical examinations for Medicare beneficiaries who have experienced a fall in the previous year. Starting January 1, 2026, the annual wellness visit will now include a mandatory falls risk assessment and fall prevention services for individuals identified by a physician as having fallen, which can be performed by a physical or occupational therapist. Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to submit annual reports to Congress beginning January 1, 2027, detailing the number of falls experienced by individuals aged 65 and older, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and tracking year-to-year changes in fall-related data. The primary goal of this legislation is to improve fall prevention and treatment for elderly Medicare recipients by expanding professional services and monitoring fall-related health outcomes.

Budget and Finance

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2612/all-info