H.R. 5621 — Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act of 2025

This section designates the Act as the "Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act of 2025" and states congressional findings on the role of physical therapists in pain prevention and treatment (including for individuals with or at risk of substance use disorders), physical rehabilitation for those with chronic conditions resulting from COVID-19, and improving patient access and outcomes in medically underserved areas.

This section expands the definition of primary health services under the National Health Service Corps (NHSC)—a program that assigns health professionals to health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) to address shortages—to include physical therapy (previously limited to family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, dentistry, or mental health). The section (1) directs the Secretary to identify physical therapy health professional target areas and assign physical therapist Corps members to such areas (applying HPSA maternity care target area provisions with modifications); and (2) includes physical therapists in the NHSC Loan Repayment Program by adding them to eligible professions (i.e., those with a doctoral or master’s degree in physical therapy who commit to providing primary health services, including physical therapy, in HPSAs), and clarifying that such eligibility does not preclude participation in other Secretary-established loan repayment programs.

This section increases the authorization of appropriations for health centers to $187,972,603 (from $172,972,603) and requires the Secretary to use not less than $15 million of such amount for loan repayments to physical therapists participating in the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program (NHSC LRP). (The NHSC LRP provides loan repayment of up to $50,000 for two years of service—or up to $100,000 for three years—in health professional shortage areas, including at health centers serving medically underserved populations.)

This section expands the definition of rural health clinic services and Federally qualified health center services under Medicare Part B to include physical therapy services (as defined in SSA 1861(p)) furnished by a physical therapist. (Thus, rural health clinics and Federally qualified health centers—safety-net providers primarily serving rural and medically underserved populations—may bill Medicare directly for such services furnished on or after January 1, 2027.)