O&P Community To Educate Lawmakers at 2005 O&P Policy Forum

American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA), Alexandria, Virginia, has announced it will host an O&P advocacy event, the 2005 O&P Policy Forum, in Washington, D.C., June 20-22 at the Grand Hyatt Washington hotel.

A three-day event, the 2005 O&P Policy Forum is a grassroots effort led by AOPA to facilitate direct communication between O&P professionals and Capitol Hill policymakers about legislative and regulatory issues that impact the O&P profession.

"I believe that every O&P professional should attend the Policy Forum," said Glenn Crumpton, COO, CPed, CPO, Alabama Artificial Limb and Orthopedic Services Inc., Montgomery, Alabama. "As a practitioner and facility owner, I have come to realize that unless our lawmakers hear from us personally, we are going to see more of the same [threats to the O&P profession]," he continued. "These things will only happen if we take personal responsibility in the decisions that are made in Washington."

For scheduling and traveling convenience, attendees can plan their stay for just two nights, AOPA noted. Policy Forum participants will arrive on June 20 in Washington, D.C. and attend an evening reception. On June 21, participants will be briefed on key O&P threats and receive "Capitol Hill 101" training from experienced AOPA staff and learn the basics of lobbying to legislators. That evening, an O&P Political Action Committee (PAC) reception will be held. The O&P community will gather on Capitol Hill on the last day, June 22, for lobbying visits (via prearranged appointments) with senators and representatives. Participants will have the unique opportunity to discuss what AOPA described as the pressing need to protect the O&P field from threats such as payment cuts, a possible extension of the Medicare payment freeze, defeating efforts by physical therapists to prescribe and provide O&P services, among other critical issues. Attendees can depart from Washington in the late afternoon.

"The actions of the federal government have a tremendous impact on the near- and long-term vitality of the O&P profession," said Tyler Wilson, AOPA executive director. "AOPA has designed the Policy Forum so that people who work in the O&P field can speak directly to legislators about how current developments in Medicare and Medicaid threaten to seriously undermine the quality of patient care and financial well-being of businesses that provide that care."

Interested participants can register for the 2005 O&P Policy Forum for a fee of $150 each. The registration fee covers hotel meeting expenses and some group meals during the two-day event in Washington, D.C. To register, visit www.AOPAnet.org or call AOPA at 571.431.0876, ext. 201.

O&P Community To Educate Lawmakers at 2005 O&P Policy Forum

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