Re: Florida O&P Law
Morris Gallo
Description
Collection
Title:
Re: Florida O&P Law
Creator:
Morris Gallo
Date:
9/22/2000
Text:
Dear Mr. LaCount
Your points imply you are a consumer of P&O services. For you and other
non-professionals on the list the following background.
Licensure and Certification are two distinct processes. Licensure is mandatory
while Certification is self-imposed and not usually recognized by state
governments.
Florida's license law came about because of a consumer receiving inadequate or
improper prosthetic services. Since the field was not regulated there was
nowhere for her to complain and seek redress. A concerned Senator approached
our state association about working together to formulate some sort of
regulation to protect the consumer. Licensure was an idea many in the field
thought would be beneficial to both the consumer and the profession. A
dedicated group of P&O professionals started the drive. We enlisted the support
of various consumer groups, individual patients with horror stories to tell, and
state agencies keen on curtailing the growing fraud problem being experienced in
primarily orthotics.
The law was crafted to require specific education, training, experience, and
good moral character of the licensee. The main goal was to protect the patient,
so all levels of prosthetic and orthotic services were deemed covered, giving
everyone in Florida the assurance that their provider had met a minimum
standard. This by no means guarantees excellence, it only provides for
assurance of meeting the minimum level of education and training to prevent
harm.
What the law does guarantee is a venue for dissatisfied patients to seek redress
without having to undertake expensive lawsuits. Without licensure this is not
possible.
You may find the infighting boring and inconsequential, but those of us who
fought to provide these protections want to insure that unchallenged slights are
not made against the law.
I hope this is helpful.
Morris Gallo, CPO
Stan LaCount wrote:
> I think some of you are missing out on the big picture. IMHO the
> differences between licensed professionals and those who aren't
> (technicians) may be moot. If you can do the job and serve the clients
> needs well, who cares what letters you put behind the name. I don't mean to
> be disrespectful or to belittle but, are all certified orthotists and
> prosthetists something special or have they just paid their dues? Why all
> the hubbub on laws to protect them from competition?
>
> The arguments I've read discussing the Fla. O&P laws are primarily concerned
> with the apportionment of funds (MONEY) not about what is best for clients.
> Too many greedy people want too many guaranteed dollars. And oh dear,
> Hanger is not playing fair, etc. I think there is room for all and quite
> possibly you folks need to figure out just what niche you can serve best.
>
> I've met many Certified Prosthetists who say all the right buzzwords and
> know their terminology, but couldn't design or build their way out of a wet
> paper sack. If credibility is an issue, certification certainly hasn't
> shown it to be foolproof. The point is, ultimately the market, via amputee
> clients, will decide who gets what. I suspect it will be those who provide
> the best products irrespective of their credentials.
>
> The HMO's are only going to provide for the first prosthesis, beyond that,
> the repeat customers will be paying for your stock-in-trade. In other
> words, someone needs to be concerned with quality, good fit, and the long
> term maintenance of the client not just the one the insurance paid for. I
> don't care if the person is certified or not. I just want to get a good
> product without being told to go elsewhere after the professional has his
> money.
>
> Stop fighting about unfair lopsided laws designed to protect the inept and
> get to work producing good products. I for one am sick and tired of the
> whining and would love to see one of you so called professionals put his
> talent where his mouth is.
>
> Stan LaCount
>
>
Your points imply you are a consumer of P&O services. For you and other
non-professionals on the list the following background.
Licensure and Certification are two distinct processes. Licensure is mandatory
while Certification is self-imposed and not usually recognized by state
governments.
Florida's license law came about because of a consumer receiving inadequate or
improper prosthetic services. Since the field was not regulated there was
nowhere for her to complain and seek redress. A concerned Senator approached
our state association about working together to formulate some sort of
regulation to protect the consumer. Licensure was an idea many in the field
thought would be beneficial to both the consumer and the profession. A
dedicated group of P&O professionals started the drive. We enlisted the support
of various consumer groups, individual patients with horror stories to tell, and
state agencies keen on curtailing the growing fraud problem being experienced in
primarily orthotics.
The law was crafted to require specific education, training, experience, and
good moral character of the licensee. The main goal was to protect the patient,
so all levels of prosthetic and orthotic services were deemed covered, giving
everyone in Florida the assurance that their provider had met a minimum
standard. This by no means guarantees excellence, it only provides for
assurance of meeting the minimum level of education and training to prevent
harm.
What the law does guarantee is a venue for dissatisfied patients to seek redress
without having to undertake expensive lawsuits. Without licensure this is not
possible.
You may find the infighting boring and inconsequential, but those of us who
fought to provide these protections want to insure that unchallenged slights are
not made against the law.
I hope this is helpful.
Morris Gallo, CPO
Stan LaCount wrote:
> I think some of you are missing out on the big picture. IMHO the
> differences between licensed professionals and those who aren't
> (technicians) may be moot. If you can do the job and serve the clients
> needs well, who cares what letters you put behind the name. I don't mean to
> be disrespectful or to belittle but, are all certified orthotists and
> prosthetists something special or have they just paid their dues? Why all
> the hubbub on laws to protect them from competition?
>
> The arguments I've read discussing the Fla. O&P laws are primarily concerned
> with the apportionment of funds (MONEY) not about what is best for clients.
> Too many greedy people want too many guaranteed dollars. And oh dear,
> Hanger is not playing fair, etc. I think there is room for all and quite
> possibly you folks need to figure out just what niche you can serve best.
>
> I've met many Certified Prosthetists who say all the right buzzwords and
> know their terminology, but couldn't design or build their way out of a wet
> paper sack. If credibility is an issue, certification certainly hasn't
> shown it to be foolproof. The point is, ultimately the market, via amputee
> clients, will decide who gets what. I suspect it will be those who provide
> the best products irrespective of their credentials.
>
> The HMO's are only going to provide for the first prosthesis, beyond that,
> the repeat customers will be paying for your stock-in-trade. In other
> words, someone needs to be concerned with quality, good fit, and the long
> term maintenance of the client not just the one the insurance paid for. I
> don't care if the person is certified or not. I just want to get a good
> product without being told to go elsewhere after the professional has his
> money.
>
> Stop fighting about unfair lopsided laws designed to protect the inept and
> get to work producing good products. I for one am sick and tired of the
> whining and would love to see one of you so called professionals put his
> talent where his mouth is.
>
> Stan LaCount
>
>
Citation
Morris Gallo, “Re: Florida O&P Law,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 8, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/214913.
