Barr Foundation trip to Belize
Tony Barr
Description
Collection
Title:
Barr Foundation trip to Belize
Creator:
Tony Barr
Text:
Thought I may share these with fellow subscribers amps and practitioners:
During my recent amputee assistance mission with the LEAP Foundation to Belize Central America, I found it very interesting and sad that the surgeons, contracted by the govt.,would more likely severe the limb above the knee even though the infected area was in the lower extremity,even for diabetic foot ulcers!! I was taken back by the numbers of a/k amputees as the result of amputation surgery in an effort to stop the spreading of diabetes or other vascualar/circulatory diseases that most often provide warning in the lower extremeties.
Apparently, this practice is to prevent the cost of another amputation in the event the infection was not contained or eliminated from the first operation.The way I understand the present system of surgical reimbursement for medical amputation in Belize, as in Mexico and most other Central and South American countries,government compensates the surgeon for the initial amputation, not for subsequent amputations or prosthetic treatment of any kind. Hence the decision to cut at a much higher level than may be necessary!!!
As the profession can attest ,fitting and successful prosthetic rehabilitation of a b/k has a higher success rate and is more cost effective than that of a a/k. But prosthetic cost matter's not when there is no coverage for any prosthetics or welfare system for amputees or the disabled.
In spite of the recently debated short comings of the U.S.A medicare O&P policy, I quess everything is relative.
We amps should count ourselfs lucky but not still not become satisfied with no educational requirements for practitioners providing O&P services or lack of proper O&P coverage.**
** Support Congressman Robert Wexler's (D-Fla) House Resolution 1938 introduced May 22,1999 and to be named :
The William G. Barr Amputee Protection Act of 1999
Thanks Tony
During my recent amputee assistance mission with the LEAP Foundation to Belize Central America, I found it very interesting and sad that the surgeons, contracted by the govt.,would more likely severe the limb above the knee even though the infected area was in the lower extremity,even for diabetic foot ulcers!! I was taken back by the numbers of a/k amputees as the result of amputation surgery in an effort to stop the spreading of diabetes or other vascualar/circulatory diseases that most often provide warning in the lower extremeties.
Apparently, this practice is to prevent the cost of another amputation in the event the infection was not contained or eliminated from the first operation.The way I understand the present system of surgical reimbursement for medical amputation in Belize, as in Mexico and most other Central and South American countries,government compensates the surgeon for the initial amputation, not for subsequent amputations or prosthetic treatment of any kind. Hence the decision to cut at a much higher level than may be necessary!!!
As the profession can attest ,fitting and successful prosthetic rehabilitation of a b/k has a higher success rate and is more cost effective than that of a a/k. But prosthetic cost matter's not when there is no coverage for any prosthetics or welfare system for amputees or the disabled.
In spite of the recently debated short comings of the U.S.A medicare O&P policy, I quess everything is relative.
We amps should count ourselfs lucky but not still not become satisfied with no educational requirements for practitioners providing O&P services or lack of proper O&P coverage.**
** Support Congressman Robert Wexler's (D-Fla) House Resolution 1938 introduced May 22,1999 and to be named :
The William G. Barr Amputee Protection Act of 1999
Thanks Tony
Citation
Tony Barr, “Barr Foundation trip to Belize,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 6, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/211982.
