Re: U.S. Politics: SNF atrocities
Robert VanHook
Description
Collection
Title:
Re: U.S. Politics: SNF atrocities
Creator:
Robert VanHook
Date:
5/6/1999
Text:
Thanks for that vote of encouragement, Tony. 90 percent of the AOPA Board
of Directors is composed of practitioners, and 100 percent care intensely
about the future of this field and the patients it serves. There is no
difference between the profession and the industry on this issue. The
ears that AOPA whispers into are not deaf. Sometimes a whisper is
better than a whole chorus of screams.
Bob
Robert T. Van Hook, CAE
Executive Director
American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association
1650 King Street, Suite 500
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: 703/836-7116
Fax: 703/836-0838
Email: <Email Address Redacted>
Webpage: www.opoffice.org
On Saturday, May 01, 1999 4:46 PM, Tony Barr [SMTP: <Email Address Redacted> ]
wrote:
> Until the profession,not the industry that was delegated the
responsibility of negotiating federal reform,demands the establishment of
meaningful minimum educational standards for practitionors seeking
medicare reimbursement, pleas of proper medicare O&P reimbursement policies
will fall on deaf ears!
>
> ----------
> This is the most useful, and probably important, message that I seen yet
> coming from the National Office. This is precisely what makes the
internet
> and our National organization useful for moving O&P in a positive
direction.
> I would bet that there are practitioners and/or business persons out
there
> who would be willing to show up on some congressman's doorstep with a
client
> (patient,) if necessary, to support change for the ridiculous Medicare
O&P
> policies and laws that have recently been adopted. I still maintain that
> our most effective weapon in fighting our cause is with individual cases
> that are presented to our Congressmen at their local offices. Compiling
and
> actively monitoring a database at our National Office to track and report
on
> such activity would give O&P facilities something to compare with and and
> would likely spur others to actively participate in such matters.
>
> I recently took a Medicare case to a fair hearing and lost. The dollar
> amount was less than $500.00, so my only option was to consolidate this
> claim with another provider and present it before an administrative law
> judge (ALJ.) However, Medicare would not tell me who another provider
was
> that had claims to present before an ALJ. So the fair hearing was the
end
> of the road and because the hearing officer misread the medical record,
my
> case was denied. As a result, I took the matter to Congressman Souder's
> office. While I still have not won this case, I have been informed that
> Medicare is going to reopen the case and let me have another fair
hearing.
> Supposedly, that does not happen often. There is little doubt in my mind
> that my case was denied because of previous Medicare abuse for the device
in
> question. But, the fact that there are some unscrupulous providers who
are
> abusing the system should not be a reason for Medicare to deny legitimate
> services that are covered by Title 42 Code.
>
> Can we afford to fight such cases? If we don't, we are what we are.
>
> Wil Haines, CPO
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Robert VanHook < <Email Address Redacted> >
> To: < <Email Address Redacted> >
> Sent: Friday, April 30, 1999 4:21 PM
> Subject: U.S. Politics: SNF atrocities
>
>
> > As you know the Balanced Budget Act established a prospective payment
> > program for Skilled Nursing Facilities. Now, some members of Congress
are
> > beginning to wonder if it was a good idea to put SNF administrators in
> > charge of the care for Medicare beneficiaries.
> >
> > AOPA is pushing to eliminate SNF/PPS for O&P services. We need your
help
> > in identifying cases in the field. Please let us know of instances
where
> a
> > SNF deliberately refused care to Medicare Part A resident patient in
order
> > to postpone the care and ensure that Part B would be responsible for
> > payment upon discharge. What was the result of the SNF's postponing
the
> > care? Do you have any other stories of SNF atrocities?
> >
> > If you do not want to make your case known, please feel free to respond
to
> > me directly < <Email Address Redacted> >. We will not identify you with
your
> > case without your specific permission.
> >
> > Thank you for your support in this important matter.
> >
> > Bob
> >
> > Robert T. Van Hook, CAE
> > Executive Director
> > American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association
> > 1650 King Street, Suite 500
> > Alexandria, VA 22314
> > Phone: 703/836-7116
> > Fax: 703/836-0838
> > Email: <Email Address Redacted>
> > Webpage: www.opoffice.org
> >
of Directors is composed of practitioners, and 100 percent care intensely
about the future of this field and the patients it serves. There is no
difference between the profession and the industry on this issue. The
ears that AOPA whispers into are not deaf. Sometimes a whisper is
better than a whole chorus of screams.
Bob
Robert T. Van Hook, CAE
Executive Director
American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association
1650 King Street, Suite 500
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: 703/836-7116
Fax: 703/836-0838
Email: <Email Address Redacted>
Webpage: www.opoffice.org
On Saturday, May 01, 1999 4:46 PM, Tony Barr [SMTP: <Email Address Redacted> ]
wrote:
> Until the profession,not the industry that was delegated the
responsibility of negotiating federal reform,demands the establishment of
meaningful minimum educational standards for practitionors seeking
medicare reimbursement, pleas of proper medicare O&P reimbursement policies
will fall on deaf ears!
>
> ----------
> This is the most useful, and probably important, message that I seen yet
> coming from the National Office. This is precisely what makes the
internet
> and our National organization useful for moving O&P in a positive
direction.
> I would bet that there are practitioners and/or business persons out
there
> who would be willing to show up on some congressman's doorstep with a
client
> (patient,) if necessary, to support change for the ridiculous Medicare
O&P
> policies and laws that have recently been adopted. I still maintain that
> our most effective weapon in fighting our cause is with individual cases
> that are presented to our Congressmen at their local offices. Compiling
and
> actively monitoring a database at our National Office to track and report
on
> such activity would give O&P facilities something to compare with and and
> would likely spur others to actively participate in such matters.
>
> I recently took a Medicare case to a fair hearing and lost. The dollar
> amount was less than $500.00, so my only option was to consolidate this
> claim with another provider and present it before an administrative law
> judge (ALJ.) However, Medicare would not tell me who another provider
was
> that had claims to present before an ALJ. So the fair hearing was the
end
> of the road and because the hearing officer misread the medical record,
my
> case was denied. As a result, I took the matter to Congressman Souder's
> office. While I still have not won this case, I have been informed that
> Medicare is going to reopen the case and let me have another fair
hearing.
> Supposedly, that does not happen often. There is little doubt in my mind
> that my case was denied because of previous Medicare abuse for the device
in
> question. But, the fact that there are some unscrupulous providers who
are
> abusing the system should not be a reason for Medicare to deny legitimate
> services that are covered by Title 42 Code.
>
> Can we afford to fight such cases? If we don't, we are what we are.
>
> Wil Haines, CPO
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Robert VanHook < <Email Address Redacted> >
> To: < <Email Address Redacted> >
> Sent: Friday, April 30, 1999 4:21 PM
> Subject: U.S. Politics: SNF atrocities
>
>
> > As you know the Balanced Budget Act established a prospective payment
> > program for Skilled Nursing Facilities. Now, some members of Congress
are
> > beginning to wonder if it was a good idea to put SNF administrators in
> > charge of the care for Medicare beneficiaries.
> >
> > AOPA is pushing to eliminate SNF/PPS for O&P services. We need your
help
> > in identifying cases in the field. Please let us know of instances
where
> a
> > SNF deliberately refused care to Medicare Part A resident patient in
order
> > to postpone the care and ensure that Part B would be responsible for
> > payment upon discharge. What was the result of the SNF's postponing
the
> > care? Do you have any other stories of SNF atrocities?
> >
> > If you do not want to make your case known, please feel free to respond
to
> > me directly < <Email Address Redacted> >. We will not identify you with
your
> > case without your specific permission.
> >
> > Thank you for your support in this important matter.
> >
> > Bob
> >
> > Robert T. Van Hook, CAE
> > Executive Director
> > American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association
> > 1650 King Street, Suite 500
> > Alexandria, VA 22314
> > Phone: 703/836-7116
> > Fax: 703/836-0838
> > Email: <Email Address Redacted>
> > Webpage: www.opoffice.org
> >
Citation
Robert VanHook, “Re: U.S. Politics: SNF atrocities,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 6, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/211906.
