About BATRA
Statement of Purpose
The Bay Area Therapeutic Recreation Association is comprised of recreation therapy professionals, students, and persons interested in supporting therapeutic recreation. BATRA was formed in order to serve as a vehicle for proactive and visionary efforts in furthering the mission of the American Therapeutic Recreation Association on a local level.
The Bay Area Therapeutic Recreation Association is an independent Chapter Affiliate of the American Therapeutic Recreation Association, autonomous in function and intent.
Legislation
Each year, BATRA donates money to the ATRA RT Medicare Project to secure the future of our profession. This project is the most important grassroots action our profession has ever initiated. This past year, US House of Rep. Ellen Taucher from CA sponsored and introduced to Congress HR 4248. This is the first time in the history of Recreational Therapy a federal bill has been initiated for our profession.
The purpose of this bill is to simply request the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to clarify in the Medicare Benefits Policy Manual and its current regulations that Recreational Therapy is a covered service in these three settings: Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRF), Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities (IPF), and Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF) when ordered by the physician and medically necessary for the patient.
CMS has repeatedly acknowledged to the profession, ATRA, and various individual Congressmen/women and Senators that RT is included in these three settings and was built into the Prospective Payment System (PPS). However, the written language does not reflect this in policy. This leads to much confusion with Fiscal Intermediaries and Administrators. It is imperative for the future of our profession that we continue to support these actions to secure the future of our services to the individuals we serve.
By Laws
Read the BATRA By Laws