Ottobock and Hanger joined forces this month in Austin, Texas, to advocate for access to better care for individuals with limb loss and limb difference across Texas, where both companies are headquartered. Texas is the only state that doesn’t provide Medicaid coverage for O&P devices for individuals over the age of 20.
In 2025, a coalition of advocates supported legislation to address this issue, though the bill did not advance out of committee. With plans to reintroduce the bill when the legislature reconvenes in 2027, individuals with limb loss and limb difference, healthcare providers, and others gathered on September 21 to educate policymakers about the challenges Texans enrolled in Medicaid face when seeking access to medically necessary O&P care.
“The importance of ensuring that Texans receive the prosthetic and orthotic devices they need to live life to the fullest cannot be overstated,” said Scott Schneider, head of governmental and medical affairs, Ottobock North America. “Our mission is to help people regain and maintain their freedom of movement, and we’re determined to do that by providing proper, timely O&P care.”
“As an individual with limb loss who uses a prosthetic device, I understand firsthand how essential access to high-quality orthotic and prosthetic care is to maintaining independence, health, and quality of life,” said Maggie Baumer, JD, EMBA, leader of enterprise patient advocacy, Hanger. “This legislation will help ensure that Texans with limb loss and limb difference have access to the care they need to stay active, support their families, and maintain health through movement.”
