Kill the thread, Please priortize your mission!
Tony Barr
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Collection
Title:
Kill the thread, Please priortize your mission!
Creator:
Tony Barr
Text:
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Gentlemen,
> Having attended the Legislative Summit at AOPA Headquarters in Alexandria last
> month, I am not at all surprised to read the recent e-mail bombarding on my
> computer monitor. It seems that more dissention is generating from the
> members of the various O&P associations. This will surely escalate unless
> there is a united front on common ground to help practioners stop the
> downwardl spiral of O&P associations both large and small. It would seem
> apparent that if AOPA really wants to achieve their long term goals of it's
> Government Relations Program, they should get their head out of the sand and
> take a positive step to help the image of it's members and help eliminate the
> health care fraud and abuse and protect consumers of O&P services from
> providers who lack appropriate education and training. This can be helped to
> be accomplished by supporting a current initiative to require Federal
> standards that orthotists and prothetists must meet in order to be reimbursed
> under Medicare.
>
> Can anyone really expect that AOPA's main priority and focus of increasing or
> maintaining Medicare reimbursement levels will be accomplished when such
> widespread fraud and abuse exists in the O&P industry??Or their goal to eliminate
> lifetimeone limb or low dollar limits and other injurious insurance practices??
The bad guys are going to ruin your business if you dont join forces.
>
> Since AOPA deals with mostly national level issues, they could and should
> lead this effort.If they don't they will be left behind.
>
> This is not federal licensure or regulation effort but a means to upgrade
> your present image of an industry to a worthy profession and to acquire
> deemed status for ABC-certified practitioners or accredited facilities.
>
> The executive Director of AOPA can help take a positive step in achieving
> their long term goals by supporting Federal Standards for O&P Practitioners in
> order for them to be reimbursed by Medicare. This legislation is being
> drafted by U.S. Congressman Robert Wexler (FL) who is considering following
> Florida's recent regulation of O&P into a similar Federal initiative.
>
> The benefits of mandatory licensure of O&P providers in Florida have already
> generated positive results. Since July, when accountability and educational
> standards were mandated, the Florida Medicaid Department and the Governor have
> recommended extended coverage to adults over the age of 21 years old.
> Presently Florida does not extend this coverage to adults. In addition,
> Medicaid is also considering excempting O&P providers from posting surety
> bonds if they are duly licensed in the state.
>
> Isn't it about time that the Academy, AOPA, ABC, NAAOP and it's membership
> unite in a common goal by taking an active part in putting accountability and
> educational standards at a Federal level. Only then will your profession have
> a chance of separating themselves from the main culprits of fraud and abuse,
> DME and medical suppliers. Only then will you eliminate the shortcomings of
> competitive bidding and managed care arrangments. Presently, good and bad O&P
> providers are precieved in the same boat. It's time for all O&P organizations
> to come to common ground and stop being kids in a sandbox throwing sand at
> each other.Encourage cleaning your own house.
>
> I am not an AOPA or NAAOP member but I a consumer advocate that has watched
> your industry for the past 25 years go through many cycles. Maybe I am in a
> better position to see the trees from the forest. AOPA ,the Academy and NAAOP
> NOW have the opportunity and responsibility to it's members and to the public
> to provide realvalue to their membership. To help better achieve their long
> term goals by:
>
> Establishing Federal Standards for Practitioners of Custom Orthotic and
> Prosthetic Devices.
Each of these Orgainizations will be asked by me to prepare position statements to support establishing
such standards.I'll let you all know who will rise to the occassion and who keeps their heads in the sand by ignoring(deleting) important issues that efffect us all.
> AnthontyT. Barr
> Director
> Barr Foundation
> www.oandp.com/barr
Gentlemen,
> Having attended the Legislative Summit at AOPA Headquarters in Alexandria last
> month, I am not at all surprised to read the recent e-mail bombarding on my
> computer monitor. It seems that more dissention is generating from the
> members of the various O&P associations. This will surely escalate unless
> there is a united front on common ground to help practioners stop the
> downwardl spiral of O&P associations both large and small. It would seem
> apparent that if AOPA really wants to achieve their long term goals of it's
> Government Relations Program, they should get their head out of the sand and
> take a positive step to help the image of it's members and help eliminate the
> health care fraud and abuse and protect consumers of O&P services from
> providers who lack appropriate education and training. This can be helped to
> be accomplished by supporting a current initiative to require Federal
> standards that orthotists and prothetists must meet in order to be reimbursed
> under Medicare.
>
> Can anyone really expect that AOPA's main priority and focus of increasing or
> maintaining Medicare reimbursement levels will be accomplished when such
> widespread fraud and abuse exists in the O&P industry??Or their goal to eliminate
> lifetimeone limb or low dollar limits and other injurious insurance practices??
The bad guys are going to ruin your business if you dont join forces.
>
> Since AOPA deals with mostly national level issues, they could and should
> lead this effort.If they don't they will be left behind.
>
> This is not federal licensure or regulation effort but a means to upgrade
> your present image of an industry to a worthy profession and to acquire
> deemed status for ABC-certified practitioners or accredited facilities.
>
> The executive Director of AOPA can help take a positive step in achieving
> their long term goals by supporting Federal Standards for O&P Practitioners in
> order for them to be reimbursed by Medicare. This legislation is being
> drafted by U.S. Congressman Robert Wexler (FL) who is considering following
> Florida's recent regulation of O&P into a similar Federal initiative.
>
> The benefits of mandatory licensure of O&P providers in Florida have already
> generated positive results. Since July, when accountability and educational
> standards were mandated, the Florida Medicaid Department and the Governor have
> recommended extended coverage to adults over the age of 21 years old.
> Presently Florida does not extend this coverage to adults. In addition,
> Medicaid is also considering excempting O&P providers from posting surety
> bonds if they are duly licensed in the state.
>
> Isn't it about time that the Academy, AOPA, ABC, NAAOP and it's membership
> unite in a common goal by taking an active part in putting accountability and
> educational standards at a Federal level. Only then will your profession have
> a chance of separating themselves from the main culprits of fraud and abuse,
> DME and medical suppliers. Only then will you eliminate the shortcomings of
> competitive bidding and managed care arrangments. Presently, good and bad O&P
> providers are precieved in the same boat. It's time for all O&P organizations
> to come to common ground and stop being kids in a sandbox throwing sand at
> each other.Encourage cleaning your own house.
>
> I am not an AOPA or NAAOP member but I a consumer advocate that has watched
> your industry for the past 25 years go through many cycles. Maybe I am in a
> better position to see the trees from the forest. AOPA ,the Academy and NAAOP
> NOW have the opportunity and responsibility to it's members and to the public
> to provide realvalue to their membership. To help better achieve their long
> term goals by:
>
> Establishing Federal Standards for Practitioners of Custom Orthotic and
> Prosthetic Devices.
Each of these Orgainizations will be asked by me to prepare position statements to support establishing
such standards.I'll let you all know who will rise to the occassion and who keeps their heads in the sand by ignoring(deleting) important issues that efffect us all.
> AnthontyT. Barr
> Director
> Barr Foundation
> www.oandp.com/barr
Citation
Tony Barr, “Kill the thread, Please priortize your mission!,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 6, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/210463.
