Bill · S. 4420· Senate(119-S-4420)
Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 4/28/2026
- Last activity
- 4/28/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Sponsored by
- Martin Heinrich
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 2
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act of 2026 aims to include physical therapists in the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment program. It directs the Secretary to identify specific target areas that have a shortage of physical therapy services. The bill also provides an additional $15,000,000 for loan repayments for these professionals. Furthermore, it expands Medicare Rural Health Clinic and Federally Qualified Health Center services to include physical therapy. These changes are intended to increase the availability of physical therapy services.
Yes· 3 of 8
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?+7
The bill specifically targets the distribution of physical therapists to rural health professional shortage areas.
Does this make health care easier to get in general?+7
The bill increases the availability of physical therapy services by providing loan repayment incentives for providers in shortage areas.
Does this reduce what student borrowers owe or repay?+6
The bill provides a mechanism for physical therapists to have their educational loans repaid through the National Health Service Corps.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Loan Repayment Assistance for Physical Therapists: By amending the Public Health Service Act, the bill allows physical therapists with a doctoral or master's degree to participate in the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment program (Section 2).
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Increased Funding for Workforce Distribution: The bill adds $15,000,000 to assist with loan repayments for physical therapists participating in the program (Section 3).
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Targeted Support for Shortage Areas: The Secretary is tasked with identifying specific geographic areas within health professional shortage areas that specifically lack physical therapy services (Section 2(b)).
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Expanded Medicare Coverage: The bill amends the Social Security Act to include physical therapy services furnished by a physical therapist within Medicare Rural Health Clinic Services and Federally Qualified Health Center Services (Section 4(a)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts or burdens are explicitly stated in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Rural Residents+7Good For Low Income Households+5Good For Seniors+5
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+7Increases Medicare Funding+4
- Education And Technology
- Improves Student Loan Relief+6
- Economy And Finance
- Increases Job Creation+3
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+2
- 6/24/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/28/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
Steve DainesRepublican · Montana
Mike RoundsRepublican · South Dakota