US Federal Senate Bill SB2612

US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 7/31/25
• Refer: 7/31/25

Caption

SAFE Act

Summary

SB2612, the “Stopping Addiction and Falls for the Elderly Act” or “SAFE Act,” would expand Medicare preventive-care rules to allow physical therapists and occupational therapists to play a larger role in annual wellness visits and initial preventive physical examinations. For annual wellness visits, the bill adds a falls risk assessment and fall-prevention services for Medicare beneficiaries whom a physician has determined fell in the previous calendar year, and it authorizes physical therapists or occupational therapists to furnish those services separately. The bill also amends the rules for the initial preventive physical examination so that beneficiaries who have experienced a fall in the previous calendar year may receive outpatient occupational therapy and outpatient physical therapy services as part of that exam. These changes would take effect for services furnished on or after January 1, 2026. In addition, beginning January 1, 2027, the Secretary of Health and Human Services would have to submit annual reports to Congress on falls among people age 65 and older who received treatment for pain or injury related to a fall, with year-to-year comparisons included in later reports.

Impact

The bill would amend sections 1861(hhh) and 1861(ww)(2) of the Social Security Act, changing Medicare coverage and provider-eligibility rules for preventive visits. It would explicitly recognize physical therapists and occupational therapists as allowable professionals for certain fall-related preventive services under Medicare, and it would create a new reporting obligation for HHS using CDC fall data. The practical effect would be to broaden access to fall-risk screening and therapy-based prevention services for older Medicare beneficiaries, while also increasing federal reporting on fall-related injuries and treatment patterns.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears to have a generally supportive, prevention-focused framing. Its title and structure emphasize reducing falls and related harm among older adults, which suggests an intent to improve safety and lower downstream medical costs. There is no recorded committee debate or vote history in the provided materials, so no formal opposition or support can be measured from proceedings; however, the policy direction is clearly oriented toward expanding preventive care rather than restricting it.

Contention

The main policy issue likely to draw scrutiny is the expansion of Medicare preventive-service authority to physical therapists and occupational therapists, which changes who may furnish certain services during wellness visits and exams. Potential concerns could include Medicare administrative complexity, provider scope-of-practice questions, and whether the added services would increase program costs or duplicate existing physician-led assessments. Another possible point of discussion is the reporting mandate, which adds a new federal data requirement for HHS, though the bill does not provide details on implementation or enforcement.