US-Politics: AOPA Tackles Competitive Bidding on Capitol Hill/ Where is ACA ?
Anthony T. Barr
Description
Collection
Title:
US-Politics: AOPA Tackles Competitive Bidding on Capitol Hill/ Where is ACA ?
Creator:
Anthony T. Barr
Date:
6/17/2002
Text:
Mr.David Schultz,Walter Gorski and AOPA members,
Mr.Michael Allen and NAAOP members,
Mr. Gary Lamb and AAOP Members,
Congratulations on your organization's continued efforts and commitment to
oppose the Medicare/Medicaid competitive bidding proposal for
comprehensive O&P services.
Perhaps you could use some help on behalf of the consumer population.
This initiative threatens the welfare, health and safety of consumers
receiving quality comprehensive O&P health care services yet THE national
consumer education organization, ACA (advocacy has APPARENTLY been
dropped from their mission ) allededly representing people with limb loss has chosen to sit on the sidelines
ALTHOUGH promises to monitor the effects and provisions that the Negotiated Rule Making intitaive
and Competitive bidding proposal will have on amputees.
As one of the recently described vocal minorities we are also
members of ACA.The Barr Foundation questions the ACA's stated tactical approach
of not effectively addressing and actively participating in:
1) The negotiated rule making process
2) Opposition to Competitive bidding proposal for comprehensive prosthetic
services.
A recent e-mail post from THE ACA president suggested that
ACA recognizes that we fully support ensuring consumers of prosthetic care are afforded the
highest levels of protection available .
Why therefore can not ACA provide the consumer influence of their
organization and their unrestricted revenue to join and align themselves with
AOPA, NAAOP.and AAOP efforts to influence legislators and the CMS ??
Since apparently some AOPA members and directors happen to be board
directors members of ACA (?), perhaps AOPA maybe also able to successfully recruit
and align the national consumer organization of the Amputee Coalition of
America (ACA) to also formally and lobby against the federal initiative.
The Barr Foundation, a ACA Life Member, is well aware that ACA has access
to unrestricted use ofsubstantial funds (approx $800,000 annually) of well over $2 million of
revenue to effectively advocate on behalf of their membership and
for amputees nationwide.
These funds are available for lobbying activities while maintaining compliance to non profit guidelines and their other sources fo funding from CDC.
It is my understanding they have also recently
formed a PAC.
Since AOPA members are the main source of advertising revenue for ACA and the
unrestricted use of funding held by them, perhaps leaders of both trade
associations and the professional association should pass the suggestion
of obtaining an united front to adequately address these initiatives , to
Paul Ising ACA chairman and Paddy Rossbach ACA president and to belly up on
the consumers behalf! Consumer participation is urgently needed.
NAAOP and AOPA should consider reaching out to ACA and other national
consumer and disability organizations that utilize O&P services, i.e. the
National Multiple Scoliosis Association, Polio, Spina Bifida Association of
America, etc.
To date no national consumer organization is presently being represented on
the Negotiated Rules Making Committee nor has any except, the Barr Foundation
formally opposed , by resolution, the competitive bidding initiative. Why?
Why aren't the disabled and consumers users of these specialized services being represented on
their behalf by the national associations they belong too ?
It is not enough for ACA to state that their involvement by merely
monitoring the issues on behalf of prosthetic consumers.
It is not enough for ACA to ignore their responsibility to oppose the
Medicare competitive bidding proposals because present proposal may involve
non-custom orthotics.
A united front of the O&P national associations, professional AND consumer
organizations would have a more impact if their organizations would unite their efforts in
defeating this and other negatively impact legislative issues that maybe on the horizon.
Now is the time to jointly propose high qualification standards and affordable O&P
health care services
Anthony T. Barr
President
Barr Foundation
www.oandp.com/barr
Mr.Michael Allen and NAAOP members,
Mr. Gary Lamb and AAOP Members,
Congratulations on your organization's continued efforts and commitment to
oppose the Medicare/Medicaid competitive bidding proposal for
comprehensive O&P services.
Perhaps you could use some help on behalf of the consumer population.
This initiative threatens the welfare, health and safety of consumers
receiving quality comprehensive O&P health care services yet THE national
consumer education organization, ACA (advocacy has APPARENTLY been
dropped from their mission ) allededly representing people with limb loss has chosen to sit on the sidelines
ALTHOUGH promises to monitor the effects and provisions that the Negotiated Rule Making intitaive
and Competitive bidding proposal will have on amputees.
As one of the recently described vocal minorities we are also
members of ACA.The Barr Foundation questions the ACA's stated tactical approach
of not effectively addressing and actively participating in:
1) The negotiated rule making process
2) Opposition to Competitive bidding proposal for comprehensive prosthetic
services.
A recent e-mail post from THE ACA president suggested that
ACA recognizes that we fully support ensuring consumers of prosthetic care are afforded the
highest levels of protection available .
Why therefore can not ACA provide the consumer influence of their
organization and their unrestricted revenue to join and align themselves with
AOPA, NAAOP.and AAOP efforts to influence legislators and the CMS ??
Since apparently some AOPA members and directors happen to be board
directors members of ACA (?), perhaps AOPA maybe also able to successfully recruit
and align the national consumer organization of the Amputee Coalition of
America (ACA) to also formally and lobby against the federal initiative.
The Barr Foundation, a ACA Life Member, is well aware that ACA has access
to unrestricted use ofsubstantial funds (approx $800,000 annually) of well over $2 million of
revenue to effectively advocate on behalf of their membership and
for amputees nationwide.
These funds are available for lobbying activities while maintaining compliance to non profit guidelines and their other sources fo funding from CDC.
It is my understanding they have also recently
formed a PAC.
Since AOPA members are the main source of advertising revenue for ACA and the
unrestricted use of funding held by them, perhaps leaders of both trade
associations and the professional association should pass the suggestion
of obtaining an united front to adequately address these initiatives , to
Paul Ising ACA chairman and Paddy Rossbach ACA president and to belly up on
the consumers behalf! Consumer participation is urgently needed.
NAAOP and AOPA should consider reaching out to ACA and other national
consumer and disability organizations that utilize O&P services, i.e. the
National Multiple Scoliosis Association, Polio, Spina Bifida Association of
America, etc.
To date no national consumer organization is presently being represented on
the Negotiated Rules Making Committee nor has any except, the Barr Foundation
formally opposed , by resolution, the competitive bidding initiative. Why?
Why aren't the disabled and consumers users of these specialized services being represented on
their behalf by the national associations they belong too ?
It is not enough for ACA to state that their involvement by merely
monitoring the issues on behalf of prosthetic consumers.
It is not enough for ACA to ignore their responsibility to oppose the
Medicare competitive bidding proposals because present proposal may involve
non-custom orthotics.
A united front of the O&P national associations, professional AND consumer
organizations would have a more impact if their organizations would unite their efforts in
defeating this and other negatively impact legislative issues that maybe on the horizon.
Now is the time to jointly propose high qualification standards and affordable O&P
health care services
Anthony T. Barr
President
Barr Foundation
www.oandp.com/barr
Citation
Anthony T. Barr, “US-Politics: AOPA Tackles Competitive Bidding on Capitol Hill/ Where is ACA ?,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 5, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/219185.
