Prosthetics Parity Hits Senate

Senators Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), and Russell Feingold (D-Wisconsin) have introduced to the U.S. Senate a bill that would require group health plans to provide benefits for prosthetic care and devices on par with that for other medical and surgical services. The Amputee Coalition of America (ACA) stated that the bill, the Prosthetics Parity Act of 2008 (S 3517), "is designed to ensure that amputees covered by employer-paid health insurance are able to access the prosthetic care they need to lead full and independent lives." The ACA estimates that prosthetic parity as promoted in the September 19 bill would add only about 25 cents per month to insurance premiums

The ACA quoted Senator Snowe as stating, "[The Parity Act] does not mandate coverage, but it does assure that when it is offered, it is not so restricted or capped that it does not assure an amputee of the prosthetic [care] they require." She added, "The impact of severely restricted prosthetic coverage can be devastating&. This is even more so for the estimated 70,000 amputees [in the United States] under the age of 18. Sadly, we see those children particularly affected as their growth increases the frequency with which a prosthetic requires replacement. That can quickly exceed a parent's ability to meet co-payment requirementsa coverage cap may deny access to a replacement prosthetic."

Kendra Calhoun, ACA president and CEO, framed the bill's introduction in terms of both equity and cost savings. She stressed, "Individuals with employer-paid health insurance deserve meaningful coverage for prosthetic care. Our senators and representatives are increasingly aware of the extent to which health insurers deny their enrollees meaningful coverage for prosthetic care, thus denying them the artificial limbs they need to live full lives.... [M]any health insurance companies cap their prosthetic care benefits too low for the average person to obtain a prosthesis, and they often impose lifetime caps or eliminate coverage completely. Some insurance companies provide coverage for only one prosthesis per lifetime. On average, an adult amputee will need a replacement every five years, and children even more frequently as they grow." Calhoun continued, "Not only will this legislation save money in the public and private sectors, but it will cover the many people who have never thought to ask if their insurance adequately covers limb loss.... Parity legislation would save the federal government and taxpayers money by preventing cost shifting for prosthetic care from the health insurance companies to government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.... This bill will return people to work and help them reclaim their lives at no cost to taxpayers."

The House of Representatives is also considering a parity bill, "The Prosthetic Parity Act of 2008" (HR 5615), which was introduced with bipartisan sponsorship on March 13. The House bill currently has 19 co-sponsors and has what the ACA called "strong and growing support on both sides of the aisle." The ACA also noted that 11 states have enacted their own prosthetic parity laws, and legislation is being advanced in more than 30 other states.

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Prosthetics Parity Hits Senate

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Crowder Reappointed to OP&P Board

SPS Promotes, Hires

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Certified Prosthetist / Prosthetist-Orthotist (CP/CPO) Gates Prosthetics + Mobility Clinic — Mountain Home, AR

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