The National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics (NAAOP) released its latest webcast in which Peter W. Thomas, JD, general counsel for NAAOP, discusses significant advancement across several O&P policy areas.
Thomas said that the biggest victory for NAAOP and its O&P Alliance partners was publication of the Local Coverage Determination (LCD) for lower-limb prostheses. The LCD, published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Durable Medical Equipment Medicare Administrative Contractor medical directors expanded the coverage criteria for microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knees (MPKs), including fluid and pneumatic knees, for Medicare Functional Classification Level 2 beneficiaries.
NAAOP also held its annual Virtual Congressional Fly-In on July 16 to promote the Medicare O&P Patient-Centered Care Act (H.R. 4315 and S. 3977). The bipartisan bill would reduce fraud and abuse while improving patient care and making orthotic treatment more accessible to Medicare beneficiaries.
NAAOP members and former Breece Fellows participated in over 35 meetings with Congressional staff and Members of Congress to seek movement on the legislation. 2024 Breece Fellow Taylor Haines, an Oregon resident, participated in a meeting with Oregon Senator Ron Wyden’s health policy staff and made a strong connection to that office.
On July 23, NAAOP hosted a webinar on Medicare coverage improvements that attracted a sell-out audience. The webinar focused on the newly released MPK coverage policy for K-2 beneficiaries and detailed the documentation and medical necessity requirements for coverage.
The webinar also delved into other advances in O&P coverage and coding over the past two years. It included topics such as designation under the orthotic benefit category of powered orthoses, which signals coverage of a whole new family of orthoses; coding and payment of a bone-anchored device that advances coverage of osseointegrated prostheses; and coding changes to the upper-limb prosthetic benefit that will likely lead to improvements in coverage of partial hand and finger prostheses.
Finally, the webinar mentioned the May announcement of a National Coverage Determination on seat elevation in power wheelchairs, benefitting individuals with limb loss who may require use of wheeled mobility in their homes.
To view a recording of the webinar, visit NAAOP’s website.
To watch the latest NAAOP webcast, visit its YouTube page.
