The National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics (NAAOP) released a webcast with an O&P call to action regarding S. 829, the Medicare Orthotics and Prosthetics Improvement Act of 2015, as follows.
NAAOP needs your help convincing your senators to cosponsor S. 829. We urge you to take the following steps as soon as possible:
- Go to www.naaop.org and click on the Congressional Legislative Action Center link in the middle of the page. Click on the tab for S. 829/H.R. 1530.
- Follow the steps outlined on the website. Take each template letter provided to the senate and the house and customize them to your liking.
- When you hit “send,” your two senators and Congressman will receive tailored e-mail messages urging them to cosponsor S. 829 and H.R. 1530.
- Then, if you are willing, contact your two senate offices by calling the Capitol switchboard at 202.224.3121, and ask for each of your two senator’s offices and speak (or leave a message) with healthcare staff urging cosponsorship of S. 829.
The Medicare O&P Improvement Act includes legislative proposals that:
- Recognizes that the prosthetist’s/orthotist’s notes are considered part of the medical record
- Separates durable medical equipment from O&P in federal regulations
- Directs the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to fully implement Medicare law requiring providers to have O&P qualifications in order to be reimbursed by the program for custom O&P care
- Clarifies the meaning of “off-the-shelf” orthotics to restore Congressional intent
- Mandates that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services refines its data on O&P audits and appeals to better track reversal rates and other important information throughout the appeals process
Action in the senate is the most pressing. The Senate Finance Committee recently announced that it is interested in passing noncontroversial, bipartisan bills that are in its jurisdiction, have been considered by the committee, and cost little or nothing. Those criteria describe the Medicare O&P Improvement Act.
Former Senator Bob Kerrey’s involvement in this issue did not stop with the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA) Policy Forum. He continues to actively volunteer his time, along with key AOPA and other O&P leaders, to get this bill passed into law.
You can do your part as an NAAOP member by participating in this process. Now is the time to help improve the O&P profession. Thank you.
