Ask Your Member of Congress to Support Physical Activity Legislation

Senators Roger Wicker, Shelley Moore Capito, Sherrod Brown and Kyrsten Sinema introduced the Promoting Physical Activity for Americans Act (S. 1608) in the Senate and Representatives Ron Kind and David McKinley introduced the Promoting Physical Activity for Americans Act (H.R. 2891) in the House. The bills would direct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to prepare and promote physical activity recommendations based on the latest scientific evidence at least every ten years.

S. 1608/H.R. 2891 would also direct HHS, five years after the release of each set of recommendations, to publish a midcourse report highlighting best practices and continuing issues relating to physical activity among Americans.  Given the strong base of science and medicine that shows the benefits of exercise, every American needs to know the current physical activity recommendations to promote health and combat obesity.

Please click  Send Message  and enter your information. From this information, your elected officials will be listed on the next page, a form letter will be provided, asking your senators/representative to cosponsor S. 1608/H.R. 2891. Feel free to use the sample language provided, or to edit the subject and text to reflect your individual views.


Fitness Tax Will End Starting July 2019

On Apri 15th, Governor Bill Lee signed the bill to “Toss the Tax”, a sales tax that was added to gym memberships in 2018. They hope by getting rid of this tax, it will encourage more individuals to want to become members of local gyms and improve the health of individuals in the state of Tennessee. For more information, check out the “Toss the Tax” Facebook page. The change is set to take place in summer of 2019.


Support the Expanding Access to Diabetes Self Management Training Act

Recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representatives Diane DeGette (Colo.) and Tom Reed (N.Y.) and in the U.S. Senate by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.) and Susan Collins (Maine), the bipartisan Expanding Access to Diabetes Self-Management Training Act will allow: 
* Referral by physicians and other CMS providers
* DSMT and medical nutrition therapy on the same day of service
* Services to be provided without out-of-pocket costs
* Additional time for education when it’s medically necessary
* Seniors to seek services in their communities rather than only at hospitals
Let your members of Congress know how important this bill is to you, our profession, and the health of our country – urge them to use their vote to improve health care access and reduce health care costs!
 

The Newly Introduced Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2019

The bipartisan Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2019 (H.R.1530, S.595) recently introduced in the U.S. House and Senate will allow a registered dietitian nutritionist or other qualified healthcare practitioner to independently provide intensive behavioral counseling services for Medicare beneficiaries with obesity and facilitate beneficiaries’ access to treatment options.

Let your members of Congress know where you stand and urge them to support this bill to improve patient outcomes, enhance health care access, and reduce health care costs.

Take Action Today


CMS Reimbursement Update

Starting January 1, 2019, CMS is adding RDNs as eligible clinicians to the Medicare Quality Payment Program (QPP). RDNs who are Medicare providers can begin reporting specific performance measures to CMS with the potential of increasing their payments in 2021. We encourage you and your members to take advantage of these opportunities. Stay tuned for future announcements from the Academy and new educational opportunities from CMS. Please contact TAND’s Reimbursement Chair Andrea Kendrick if you have any questions, Andrea.KendrickRD@gmail.com.


CMS Order Writing Updates

On November 2, 2018, TAND held a webinar hosted by Past President Brian Jones on the latest updates on Order Writing Privileges. Visit the website to view the recording and download the many resources available on this topic.

November 2, 2018 Webinar and Resources

View TAND’s webinar on the latest updates on order writing privileges in Tennessee by clicking here.

Resources:

January 2017 Policy Forum LTC TDO


New Tax on Fitness Centers

You may have recently heard that a 1980’s sales tax on fitness centers is just now starting to be enforced. It’s getting a LOT of local attention. Two Knoxville, TN, representatives in particular intend to challenge the tax on grounds that it discourages activity in an already high chronic disease state. For more information on this tax increase and ways to contact your local legislator, please refer to the following links below.

Daniel and Biggs Press Release: http://tnhousegop.org/representative-martin-daniel-senator-richard-briggs-announce-legislation-to-eliminate-unfair-tax-on-fitness-centers/

WATE Coverage: https://www.wate.com/news/local-news/knoxville-state-lawmakers-take-aim-at-sales-tax-on-fitness-centers/1483006309?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_WATE_6_On_Your_Side

Tax Notice from TN Dept. of Revenue: https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/revenue/documents/notices/sales/sales18-09.pdf


Therapeutic Diet Orders Update!

Effective October 8, 2018 the state of Tennessee has allowed a path for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists to have more autonomy in writing therapeutic diet orders.  The updated rule reads:

“All patient diets, including therapeutic diets, must be ordered by a practitioner, responsible for the care of the patient, or by a qualified dietitian to whom the physician who chairs the hospital’s medical executive committee has referred this task. The medical staff and hospital’s board of trustees shall decide the extent of ordering privileges that a qualified dietitian shall have and a mechanism to ensure that order writing by a qualified dietitian is coordinated with the responsible practitioner’s care of the patient and complies with Tennessee law governing dietitians.”

Please reference the following for the complete rule change and approval: https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/rules_filings/07-07-18.pdf