Iowa Governor Terry Branstad signed Senate File (S.F.) 364, an act relating to the licensure of orthotists, prosthetists, and pedorthists, on April 27, making Iowa the 14th state to begin regulating and licensing O&P professionals on the state level. The legislation becomes active July 1, 2012. The legislation seeks to accomplish four main goals:
- Reduce instances of malpractice , Medicaid fraud, and abuse.
- Add a measure of protection and security for Iowans.
- Standardize regulations for training and continuing education.
- Achieve consistently higher-quality service across all licensed disciplines.
To gain passage, licensing of O&P professionals will be combined with the Iowa Board of Podiatry, which will add two new O&P members. The bill exempts over-the-counter orthotics and does not impact the scope of practice of any other providers that are licensed by the state.
