CPMA Legislative Report

Linda Kowalski

October 22, 2025

My team members and I are pleased to provide members of the Connecticut Podiatric Medical Association a government relations update at the State Capitol. We have had many legislative successes for the profession.

Recap of the 2025 Session

Win! Defeated legislation that would prohibit podiatrists from using the title “Podiatric Physician” (Senate Bill 468). This is the second year in a row that the bill surfaced. It would affect other professions as well who are in the healing arts (Chapter 369, Section 20-1). As was discussed recently at APMA’s state advocacy forum in Boston; this issue is coming up in multiple states.

Win! Protected the Podiatric practice from any encroachments to the scope of practice and worked to ensure 2024’s expansion to total ankle replacements was not weakened in any way.

Win! Secured $50 million in additional reimbursement in the Medicaid program. We are working to have Podiatrists included in the first tranche of funding (House Bill 7287, Public Act 25-168). As you know, DPMs’ fees are the same as an orthopedic doctor’s fees under the fee parity law that the government relations team successfully advocated for passage for Medicaid in 2022.

Win! Legislation was approved to create a new student loan reimbursement grant program for health care providers. Licensed Podiatric physicians who are practicing full-time in the state, but not self-employed providers or sole proprietors of a professional health care practice are eligible. The details and funding are being overseen annually by the Department of Public Health, and we are in touch with them as the program parameters are developed (Senate Bill 1450, Public Act 25-162).

Win! We played a major role in defeating a bill to place new restrictions on medical device representatives who are in an operating room during surgery. Their presence helps ensure that the devices are properly fitted and operating. (Senate Bill 1372).

Work In Progress Two pro-patient and provider reforms did not pass. One would shift the burden on a preauthorization to the insurer; they would have to show the request was not

justified rather than having the provider show why a service or procedure is needed (provision

removed from Senate Bill 10 which became Public Act 25-94). The other bill reduced the claw- back period on insurer payment recoupments from18 months to 12 months (House Bill 7079).

APMA State Advocacy Forum—Boston, Mass.

One of our team members attended the APMA Advocacy Forum in Boston on September 18 and 19. We provided a more detailed debrief on the program to Dr. Mucinskas, DPM, and Dr. Gambardella, DPM; APMA is suggesting the following matters for state chapters to consider legislatively:

• Podiatric Compact—This would expedite licensure in member So far, no states have acted yet to adopt the model bill.
• “Take Call”—This would create rules by which hospitals would be required to compensate podiatrists who are on call to perform needed surgery and patient care at the
• 25 Modifier—This would require insurers to accept the modifier which is used for an evaluation and management code of a significant and separate identifiable issue from that which a DPM was treating the patient for on the same day.
• Massachusetts’ Foot and Ankle Society partnered with the American Diabetes Association on legislation to create an amputation avoidance task The issue is pending in their legislature.

On the matter of fee parity for podiatry in health insurance plans, APMA is launching an advocacy effort to enact a federal rule requiring same-code fee parity for podiatric physicians with other physicians. They recognize this is very difficult to do at a state level since most consumers now have ERISA plans that cannot be regulated by the state. Our team pursued fee parity for podiatry in 2022 but ran into that exact issue, and others. Although we succeeded in getting our bill through the committee and the Senate, it died in the House due to the mandate issue. We will work with CPMA to support the APMA proposal as it progresses in Congress.

Special Session

The General Assembly is expected to convene in a special session November 12 and 13 to counter cuts to assistance programs. They may also attempt to pass some bills that were left on the Senate Calendar at adjournment due to a lack of time. Initially, the purpose of the special session was to determine which federal cuts to Medicaid could be obviated with state dollars. However, it looks like this might not happen as the major cuts to that program do not take place until 2027. Meanwhile, a significant housing affordability bill that was vetoed by Governor Lamont is currently under discussion and could be revised if leadership determines the votes are there to pass it. We will be monitoring the special session closely and will keep the CPMA board apprised of any issues of interest or concern.

2026 Legislative Session

The 2026 legislative session will convene in Hartford on February 4^th. We are in the process of developing an agenda for CPMA and will forward this to the board for their review and approval at an upcoming meeting.

We want to thank Dr. Adam Mucinskas, DPM, and Dr. Gabe Gambardella, DPM, for their assistance, commitment and work during what was a very busy legislative session for CPMA this year. Further, we believe the 2026 legislative session will result in additional “wins” for Podiatry.

We also want to thank the CPMA board of directors, the staff at The Markens Group and all of the members of CPMA for their continued commitment to your patients and the profession.