North Carolina Occupational Therapy Association

12/16/2025

📣 Course Offering – Register Today! 📣

SOS Approach to Feeding Training Course

📍 Charlotte, NC
📅 March 26–29, 2026

SOS Approach To Feeding

12/15/2025

AOTA member and North Carolina Occupational Therapy Association (NCOTA) Vice President Clarice Grote, MS, OTR/L, joined North Carolina Governor Josh Stein at a press conference announcing the reversal of Medicaid reimbursement provider cuts implemented in October—including a 3 percent rate reduction for outpatient specialized therapies like occupational therapy. With support from AOTA, NCOTA and other state associations will continue advocating for fair Medicaid payment policies that protect patient access to care.

Many states will be addressing Medicaid funding in their 2026 legislative sessions. We need your voice—membership in your state OT association and AOTA strengthens our ability to advocate for and protect fair reimbursement for OT services. Read the governor’s press release: https://bit.ly/4oRokma

Learn more about AOTA membership at aota.org/membership

12/13/2025

📣 Advocacy Works—and This Is Proof.

On Tuesday, December 9, Governor Josh Stein announced that North Carolina will repeal the Medicaid rate cuts that went into effect on October 1. These cuts, first announced by DHHS in August, included a 3% reduction to occupational therapy reimbursement on top of already historically low rates. Providers will receive retroactive reimbursement for the time the cuts were in place.

This outcome did not happen by chance.

After countless hours of coordinated advocacy with legislators, DHHS leadership, and the Governor’s office, NCOTA was invited to participate in the official press conference announcing the repeal—ensuring occupational therapy had a seat at the table.

NCOTA Vice President Clarice Grote attended the press conference and shared the following statement for the official press release:

“Medicaid recipients of all ages depend on occupational therapy services to support them in their daily lives,” said NC Occupational Therapy Association (NCOTA) Vice President Clarice Grote. “NCOTA is grateful to the Governor for today’s announcement.”

The rate cuts were initially proposed in response to a reported $800 million Medicaid budget shortfall. While this repeal is an important win, the work is not over. NCOTA will continue advocating for full Medicaid funding and meaningful rate increases that reflect the value of occupational therapy and protect access to care across North Carolina.

💪 This level of advocacy requires strength in numbers.
Membership directly strengthens NCOTA’s ability to respond to policy threats, engage in high-level advocacy, and protect OT practice in our state.

If you’re not yet a member, now is the time to join. If you are a member—thank you for making this work possible, and please encourage a colleague to join as well.

✨ Together, we are stronger, louder, and more effective.

👉 Join NCOTA today to strengthen our advocacy.

12/12/2025

NCOTA is at the AOTA children and youth specialty conference in Charlotte. Stop by and learn about what state associations can do for you!

12/10/2025

12/10/2025

Governor Stein announced today that they will be repealing the 3% Medicaid rate cut that originally took effect on October 1.

We will continue our advocacy efforts with the legislature to ensure Medicaid is fully funded and continue advocating for a rate increase that is desperately needed.

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving from NCOTA!🧡🦃

As we celebrate this season of gratitude, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all our members, supporters, and followers. Your dedication, passion, and engagement have strengthened our community and fueled our advocacy efforts throughout the year.

We are truly grateful to walk alongside you in this amazing profession of occupational therapy, a field that brings hope, empowerment, and meaningful participation to so many lives. Your commitment makes a difference every day.

Thank you for being part of NCOTA and for all you do to advance OT in North Carolina. We look forward to continuing this important work together in the year ahead.

Wishing you a warm, joyful, and restorative Thanksgiving!

11/27/2025

👀✨ Low Vision Rehab Solutions is looking for practitioners — and YOU could be the next member of the team! 🙌

11/27/2025

📣 Reminder for OT Practitioners

NCTracks is now accepting public comments on the policy Ensuring Person-Centered Care for Children with Autism — open through November 27, 2025.

💡 Why this matters:
This is a critical opportunity to speak up about the need for access to occupational therapy and the barriers children face when OT services are limited due to rising ABA utilization.

📝 How to participate:
1️⃣ Review the policy paper:
medicaid.ncdhhs.gov/policy-paper-ensuring-person-centered-care-children-autism-spectrum-disorder-nc-medicaid-program/download?

2️⃣ Submit your comment:
Email Medicaid.NCEngagement@dhhs.nc.gov with the subject line:
“RB-BHT Policy Feedback”

➡️ Share your perspective on protecting access to OT services.
(We can provide a sample letter—please let us know if you’d like us to send it to you! Just remove any yellow highlights and add your name & credentials.)

Let’s make sure children across North Carolina have access to the full range of person-centered care they deserve. 💙

11/24/2025

🎓💙 North Carolina OT Community — We Need Your Support

On December 2nd, AOTF’s Giving Tuesday Challenge offers NC a valuable opportunity to increase funding for our 2026 NCOTA Scholarship.

🌟 The four states with the highest number of donors will receive an additional $500 toward their state scholarship. Any donation to any AOTF fund counts toward North Carolina’s donor total.

💛 Contributions may be directed to the NCOTA Scholarship or to AOTF grants, awards, or school-based funds through the St. Catherine Challenge — where each gift supports multiple initiatives.

🔗 Donate: www.aotf.org/Support

Thank you for helping strengthen the future of occupational therapy in North Carolina. 🙌💙

Occupational Therapy in the 21st century will be defined by evidence-based practice. AOTF is working to be the leader in supporting new research that will build that evidence. But we need your help to do it.

11/18/2025

Today, the Administration announced steps toward dismantling the Department of Education, which would be devastating to the students served by many OT practitioners.

As it stands now, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) would remain at ED, but K-12 education programs would be moved to the Department of Labor. AOTA strongly believes that general education should not be separated from special education, and that K-12 programs must be administered by a department focused on the education of students.

We are working closely with coalition partners to coordinate efforts to amplify OT’s voice, and engaging with our Congressional champions, on both sides of the aisle, about the importance of protecting the essential role of ED in supporting students and ensuring access to high quality education for all.

You have a voice through AOTA. Take action now to remind Congress of IDEA’s importance: aota.org/takeaction 👈

📣 Join our webinar on November 20 to discuss the past, present, and future of IDEA—register now: https://bit.ly/49ZJ1sc

11/15/2025

📣 Thank you to everyone who has reached out to legislators and the Governor regarding the Medicaid rate cuts that took effect on October 1, 2025. We continue to hear from both lawmakers and representatives from the Governor’s office that OT practitioners across North Carolina are making their voices heard.

📄 Legislative leadership has now released a statement in response to the Governor’s call for a special session next week. You can view their statement here:https://files.constantcontact.com/aefdce84701/f066bf1b-3de4-495d-ac32-416c09838445.pdf

✨ Professionalism in Our Advocacy
As we move forward, it’s essential that our communication remains professional, respectful, and clear. Our credibility as practitioners strengthens our message. A composed, factual, and solutions-focused tone helps policymakers see that we are advocating not just for ourselves, but for the safety, well-being, and equitable care of vulnerable North Carolinians.

💬 Tips for Communicating with Policymakers
• Be concise and clear: Identify who you are, who you serve, and why the issue matters.
• Stay respectful and non-partisan. Focus on the issue—not political personalities.
• Center client impact with brief stories on how rate reductions affect children, families, rural communities, and access to care.
• Use data intentionally, such as reimbursement declines, staffing challenges, and reduced access to essential services.
• Offer solutions, highlighting the importance of funding the Medicaid rebase to preserve access and sustain the therapy workforce.
• Follow up with a thank-you after meetings or calls to reinforce professionalism.

🔄 NCOTA will continue updating members as communication with legislators, the Governor’s office, and DHHS progresses. Our outreach has been ongoing since mid-August, and we will remain engaged until the Medicaid rate issue is resolved.

❤️ We are deeply grateful for your continued advocacy—for your professionalism and your commitment to the people of North Carolina. Together, we will keep elevating the voice of our profession and working toward meaningful, sustainable solutions that protect patient access and support the future of occupational therapy.