AOPA National Assembly Draws Largest Crowd Ever

A record crowd of almost 2,200 total attendees made the recent American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association (AOPA) National Assembly the largest O&P trade show ever held in the US, according to the association.

About 170 exhibitors showcased their products and services at the event held September 25-28 at the Mirage Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The business, scientific, and technical sessions all drew strong attendance, and the program covered the bases on hot-button legislative, reimbursement, and business issues. For instance, "stock and bill" came out of the closet as a three-person panel discussed the issue. The "pro" side for why O&P companies should add stock and bill, also known as "supply closets," to their offerings was taken by Joe Sansone, CEO, TMC Orthopedic, Houston, Texas. Representing the "con" was Jonathan Naft, CPO, of Geauga Rehabilitation Engineering Inc., Chardon, Ohio. Healthcare attorney John Latsko of Schottenstein Zox & Dunn, Columbus, Ohio, discussed legal aspects and caveats for stock and bill arrangements.

Attendees had the opportunity to listen and talk directly to a Durable Medical Equipment Carrier (DMERC) medical director, as Adrian Oleck, MD, of Region B, discussed key Medicare topics impacting O&P and answered questions and comments from the audience.

Focus on Legislation, Regulation

As the legislative and regulatory pot boils, AOPA addressed both national and state issues. Leading a state issues roundtable and an update of what's happening in Washington, DC, were Kathy Dodson, AOPA's senior director of government affairs, and Walt Gorski, director of legislative and regulatory affairs. They noted that, although AOPA is involved primarily with legislation and regulatory issues at the national level, developments at the state level often can be like the noted canary in the coal mine, a harbinger of what isor soon will beimpacting O&P nationally. Attendees were urged to keep AOPA informed about what is happening in their states.

Regarding prosthetic parity, legislation has been enacted in Colorado, Maine, and New Hampshire. According to a recent check of the Amputee Coalition of America (ACA) website at press time, parity legislation is underway in 26 states (www.amputee-coalition.org/aca_advocacy_stateparity.html).

More Highlights

AOPA offered its "Top 10" half-hour business sessions, which focused on the top ten in each of these ten areas: 1) Using in-services to build referrals, 2) coding and billing errors, 3) ways to avoid HIPAA complaints, 4) questions about Medicare coverage, 5) hints to winning Medicare appeals, 6) most frequently asked questions in charting and documentation, 7) best business practices and how to implement them through technology, 8) skilled nursing facility (SNF) billing tips, 9) tips for recruiting and retaining the best talent, and 10) steps to being a very profitable practice.

Since what is happening in the overall healthcare arena impacts O&P, John Latsko peered into the future to discuss trends of tomorrow. After discussing current relationships with physicians both as referral sources and competitors and some of the ingenious ways physicians are enhancing their practices, Latsko discussed the return of gainsharing, preparing for "pay for performance" reimbursement programs, healthcare reimbursement programs for consumers and employers, such as flexible spending accounts (FSAs), health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs), and medical savings accounts (MSAs).

Clinical and technical sessions encompassed a wide range of subjects. One that especially promised a fascinating look into the future was presented by Jon Mogford, PhD, of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which is working on a project titled "HAND"Human Assisted Neural Deviceswhich hopes to develop an upper-limb prosthesis directly integrated with the brain, that responds as a natural limb does to signals from the brain and nerves. The agency has a long history of trailblazing technological achievements, including involvement with the development of the Internet, global positioning system (GPS), and stealth fighter planes. Mogford discussed the challenges involved and provided a tantalizing glimpse into possibilities, with, however, not much concrete information at this point.

The increasingly high-profile world of disabled sports received another boost at the AOPA meeting. During a special event in the Exhibit Hall, amputee athletes displayed their prowess at various sports as a prelude to an exciting announcement by College Park Industries (CPI), Fraser, Michigan. The company will sponsor the first "O&P Extremity Games by College Park" July 28-29, 2006.

Forays into the exhibit hall revealed some interesting innovations. Lee Mantelmacher, CPO, of KISS Technologies, Baltimore, Maryland, showed the company's new hook-and-loop lanyard for easy donning and better rotational control for its Keep It Simple Suspension system.

Tonya Horton, Horton Technology, discussed the SCOKJ® Jr., orthotic knee joint, a smaller version of the adult SCOKJ. Developing this pediatric and small adult version involved more than simply downsizing the adult SCOKJ; some complex engineering and materials challenges had to be solved, Horton explained. The SCOKJ Jr. is expected to be available this coming year.

Many other new and interesting products and services made exploring the exhibits informative and enjoyableO&P professionals continually have a stream of steadily improving devices in their armentarium, as well as the tried-and-true standbys.

Next year's AOPA National Assembly is slated for September 27-30 at the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa, Hollywood, Florida.

AOPA National Assembly Draws Largest Crowd Ever

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AOPA National Assembly Draws Largest Crowd Ever

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Related posts:

Lending a Hand (or Foot)

APO Facility Moves

APO Facility Moves

O&P JOBS

Orthotics and Prosthetics Assistant

Certified Orthotist — Full-Time or Part-Time, Pediatric Practice

Certified Prosthetist / Orthotist (CPO/CP/CO)

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