The American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association (AOPA),
National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and
Prosthetics (NAAOP), Amputee Coalition of America (ACA), American
Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (the Academy), and American
Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics
(ABC) have issued a joint press release today announcing that the
Chairman of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee (Pete
Stark, D-CA) and its Ranking Member (Dave Camp, R-MI), introduced
on June 12 a bill that would prevent Congress from trimming the
Medicare O&P fee schedule in order to help pay for the $3.1
billion cost of delaying the Medicare competitive-bidding program
for durable medical equipment (DME). The bill, the Medicare DMEPOS
Competitive Acquisition Program Reform Act of 2008, would also
delay implementation of the DME competitive bidding until January
2010, 18 months from its currently scheduled debut in ten U.S.
metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) on July 1, 2008. The complete
press release follows.
