From the Editor:Take Part in Your Future

I'm just a bill, well, I'm only a bill, and I'm sitting here on Capitol Hill... Any child of the 70s and 80s (and thanks to the magic of DVD, their own children today) fondly remembers the Schoolhouse Rock song from Saturday morning cartoons explaining how legislation gets done. In the late 80s, fresh out of high school, I was fortunate to have my own first-hand experience with the legislative process as a member of a committee working on a State Senate bill in Colorado. Long story, very short... in high school, as the editor of my school newspaper, I had experienced unjust censorship at the hand of my high-school principal who believed that learning to form and articulate opinions was not a necessary piece of the curriculum. I had planned a balanced editorial page looking at the pros and cons of proposed schedule changes for the next school year. At the last minute before printing, the principal demanded I remove the "con" section (because we were not allowed to disagree with him), and in one of my most empowered moments ever, I left the space blank, sending the issue to print with the headline, "This article removed by administrative order." What followed for me was time in the principal's office, a little local media attention, and having to face the fact that most of my peers were so consumed with graduation partying that they did not really care about our first amendment rights being violated. To an idealistic 18-year-old, the initial reward was simply in standing up for what I believed, but a year later I received further vindication when I was invited to join the committee for a State Senate bill protecting student journalists from administrative censorship. I became the "star" witness and told my story several times on the Senate floor, each time amazed that I was able to convince strangers to believe in my "cause" and that together with this group of impassioned journalists and teachers, we were able to eventually move our bill all the way to the governor's desk where we stood while he signed it into law. Call to Action As empowering as the action of taking a stand against my principal was, the magnitude of becoming involved in the legislative process and making a change for future students was without measure. O&P licensure has got to be one of the most often discussed topics in the O&P field today. All of the challenges and obstacles that the profession faces seem to lead back to the subject. Jim Rogers, CPO, FAAOP, PPS O&P, Chattanooga, Tennessee, said in our January issue focusing on licensure, "Although it may be true that licensure will protect practitioners, help to delineate our scope of practice, and preserve our economic base, what we're doing is protecting the patient, because ultimately, it is the patient that's harmed the most when there is no licensure protection." There are multiple and various reasons for O&P providers to become involved in the licensure process. In this issue's Legislative Update (see editor's note below) we examine some of the changes in programs, policies, rules, and regulations that affect the O&P industry, its practitioners, and its patients--including licensure. Our country was established on the basis of government "By the people, for the people." Licensure is a call to action. What is the state of licensure in your state and what can you do to help? Editor's Note: In this issue we examine some of the changes in programs, policies, rules, and regulations coming from Congress, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), and state legislatures that affect the O&P industry, its practitioners, and its patients. Specifically, John Latsko takes a closer look at a recent advisory from the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health & Human Services examining two programs for the delivery of DMEPOS in the physician practice setting and the potential for violation of the federal anti-kickback statute. In addition, as several states pursue parity legislation, Sherry Metzger, MS, reviews the process the state of Colorado went through as the first state to achieve parity, and I preview the efforts toward licensure of practitioners in the state of New York. For more information on recent policy actions, read our online only coverage: Lincare Settles with OIG, Pays $10 Million Enzi Health Plan Bill Dies CMS Issues Proposed Competitive Bidding Rule Medicare's Financial Outlook Declines Slight, Annual Report Reveals Kaiser Releases Reports on Long-Term Care Issues Website Provides Healthcare Policy Overview States Get New Options for Medicaid

From the Editor:Take Part in Your Future

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From the Editor:Take Part in Your Future

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dj Orthopedics Inc. Changes Name to DJO Incorporated

Hanger Opens O&P Facility Foot Care Center

Hanger Opens O&P Facility Foot Care Center

RECENT NEWS

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O&P JOBS

Certified Orthotist & Orthotic Technician

Prosthetic/Orthotic Technician – Boise, ID

Certified Orthotist

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