The Medicare Orthotics and Prosthetics Patient-Centered Care Act was introduced in the Senate on March 19.
Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Steve Daines (R-MT) introduced the legislation, which was brought to the House in June 2023 and now has 35 cosponsors.
Passage of the legislation would prohibit drop shipping of custom orthoses and prostheses to Medicare beneficiaries, ensure Medicare beneficiaries can access the full range of orthotic care from one O&P practitioner rather than requiring patients to visit multiple providers when the treating orthotist or prosthetist does not have a competitive bidding contract, and ensure Medicare beneficiaries can access replacement custom-fitted and custom-fabricated orthoses when a change in their condition or clinical needs occurs.
“Seniors need quality orthotics and prosthetics care, but hurdles in the industry are making care less accessible while also burdening Medicare and providers,” said Warner. “This bipartisan legislation would alleviate issues across the orthotics and prosthetics industry so seniors don’t receive unusable devices and also cut unnecessary red tape for orthotists and prosthetists.”
“This comprehensive legislation is important to both the O&P profession as well as the patients its serves. The legislation will help address the costly fraudulent practices Medicare beneficiaries have been experiencing in the recent years,” said Mitchell Dobson, CPO, FAAOP, president of the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association (AOPA). “It will also ensure that individuals living with limb loss and limb difference have access to the safe, quality clinical care they need and deserve. Thank you to Senators Warner and Daines for their work to get this introduced in the Senate.”
AOPA is encouraging people to use its AOPAvotes platform to send letters to their Senators urging them to support the legislation. AOPAvotes also has an automated X/Twitter campaign to ask members of Congress for their support.
AOPA members will visit Washington DC April 15-16 for the 2024 Policy Forum where they will meet with members of Congress to seek support of the legislation.
