Dear Mr. Thomas
Thank you for your efforts keeping us informed and up to date with the
pending Federal legislation.
What I don’t understand is why you don’t present the entire analysis of the
pending bill before asking us to endorse and support this poorly worded
bill.
I looked up HR 1958 and after reading cannot support it, and in fact will
work towards its defeat.
This bill will establish and place in the statutes that a certain class of
persons is not to be trusted and must therefore be highly regulated through
the expensive and laborious process of facility accreditation. That class
of persons is individuals making their living as Prosthetists and
Orthotists.
But, the bill recognizes Physicians, Occupational Therapists, and Physical
Therapists as both qualified to provide P&O services and trustworthy,
without regard to their training or education. Why else would the bill
clearly exempt this group of the requirement of facility accreditation?
This bill guarantees this group, Dr/PT/OT, may continue to provide P&O
services to Medicare beneficiaries without regard to their expertise or
qualifications. While at the same time determining we are not to be
trusted, and before being able to provide P&O services for Federal payment
must prove both our qualifications and trustworthiness by becoming
accredited.
I urge practitioners to read the bill before they decide to endorse or
reject the bill.
Morris Gallo, LPO
