SAFE Act
Sponsored By: Senator James Justice
Introduced
Summary
This bill would expand Medicare coverage to include physical therapists and occupational therapists for fall-risk assessments and fall-prevention services during preventive visits. It would also require annual HHS reports using CDC data on falls among adults 65 and older to track changes over time.
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- Older adults who fell in the previous year could receive a falls risk assessment and fall-prevention services as part of their Medicare Annual Wellness Visit or Initial Preventive Physical Examination. These changes would apply to visits furnished on or after Jan. 1, 2026.
- Physical therapists and occupational therapists could furnish separate falls risk assessments and provide outpatient physical or occupational therapy during the initial preventive exam for patients who have fallen. This expands who can deliver those preventive services under Medicare.
- The Department of Health and Human Services would submit yearly reports to Congress beginning Jan. 1, 2027 with CDC-based counts of treated falls among people 65 plus and year-to-year trends.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
More fall-prevention care for Medicare
If enacted, Medicare beneficiaries a physician says fell last year would get a falls risk check at their Annual Wellness Visit. They would also get fall-prevention services during that visit starting January 1, 2026. Physical or occupational therapists could provide a separate falls assessment and fall-prevention services. If enacted, the Initial Preventive Physical Examination could include outpatient physical and occupational therapy for patients a physician says fell last year. This would apply starting January 1, 2026.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
James Justice
WV • R
Cosponsors
Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM]
NM • D
Sponsored 10/23/2025
Angela Alsobrooks
MD • D
Sponsored 1/15/2026
Tammy Duckworth
IL • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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