FW: [OANDP-L] US Politics /Patient Defeated at Neg Reg
Description
Collection
Title:
FW: [OANDP-L] US Politics /Patient Defeated at Neg Reg
Date:
7/29/2003
Text:
Justin and O&P Subscribers,
I am sorry I haven't had the opportunity of replying sooner to your OANDP-L
comments below.
1) The O&P Professional Groups that participated in the Neg Reg Meetings,
most of whom subscribe to OANDP-L should disseminate their positions) at
Neg Reg on this effective O&P list serve media. Have your credentialing,
professional or trade associations kept you informed as to the Neg reg
process and issues by this or other means since Neg reg started in October?
2) The word patient and consumer is conveniently and often interchanged
depending on
what and how it is being referenced. Those whom chose not to pursue
regulation or regulatory accountability of the O&P profession, utilize
consumers as the recipients.However,the same people use patient when
attempting to raise coverage for the devices they are providing or justify a
turf war issue.
As to Neg Reg process, we were exclusively addressing the delivery and
qualifications
of comprehensive O&P and reimbursement issues from Medicare.
You would be surprised how often the word patient was always utilized by
all committee members!
Certainly you as a O&P college graduate and resident of the Bay area in
California can see that if the business of O&P truly wants to be regarded,
treated and paid as professionals they ought to support and help enact
state and federal regulation and refer to their customer base as patients
whom are beneficiaries of a specialized health care service.
As far as the labeling of users of comprehensive O&P devices, more than one
patient as said to me on many occasions I don't care what you call me as
long as I can receive qualified services and maintain proper coverage.
Problem is, we have a trade association which consist of DME and O&P
provider members.
This trade association wants to look after there regulatory interests of
both groups.
Thats a impossible when O&P services has been broad brushed with the DME
fraud and abuse reported in the 2001 IOG report.
**AOPA LEGISLATIVE ACTION ALERT**
July 23, 2003
URGE LAWMAKERS TO SUPPORT O&P IN THE MEDICARE REFORM BILL CONFERENCE
COMMITTEE ISSUES FACING O&P
1. Oppose the provision in the Senate Medicare reform bill (S. 1) that
would implement a 7-year Medicare payment freeze on non-custom orthotic
services;
2. Oppose the provision in the Senate Medicare reform bill (S. 1) that
would establish a demonstration project permitting physical therapists
to prescribe and provide health care services, including O&P services,
without a physician's prescription.
3. Accept the House of Representatives' Medicare reform bill (H.R. 1)
provision that would implement a limited Medicare competitive bidding
program only for off-the-shelf orthotic devices. While AOPA would
prefer not to accept competitive bidding in any form, it is clear that
competitive bidding or a payment freeze is imminent and competitive
bidding based on its narrow scope (i.e. limited to off-the-shelf
orthotic devices) will be less damaging on the O&P field and the
patients we serve.
One trade association represents two entirely different sectors.
Why should qualified professional providers of comprehensive O&P, oppose
competitive bidding for non custom O&P and DME supplies or oppose a price
freeze for off the shelf products IF it will help separate the delivery of
comprehensive O&P from that of providing wheel chairs, hospital beds, oxygen
tanks and other DME products and eliminate cutbacks in coverage in
comprehensive services ?
The beat of the drum goes on!
Thanks for your comments!
Tony
----- Original Message -----
From: Justin Foster < <Email Address Redacted> >
To: < <Email Address Redacted> >
Sent: Monday, July 21, 2003 1:48 PM
Subject: Re: [OANDP-L] Fw: [OANDP-L] O&P Profession and the Patient Defeated
at Neg Reg
Thank you for the updates Tony, it does seem there are some strange
dealingssurrounding this process...
I do wish to comment on the labelling of P&O care recipients as
consumers.I feel that the title of consumer lends a certain power that
patient
does not. As a patient, you are under the supervisory care of a health
care provider, and are being cared FOR. As a consumer, you are making active
choices about your course, and which road you will be taking. I am on the
fence about this issue, and certainly welcome debate, however I would like
to see our patients enjoy the same power as consumers in other
industries,the power to get up and walk out on poor quality work without
having to
payfor it!!! It seems to me that O&P professionals should work WITH
patients/consumers/clients,
not in OUR interpretation of their best interests. I do not think this is
unique to O&P, it may in fact be endemic
to all medical and para-medical practice. If medicine is becoming a
business (has it always been???), let's empower our patients to function
as the
consumer, thereby requiring all medical professionals to ensure positive
outcomes, or lose the revenue. As long as people are kept under the thumb
of a patient label, they are treated as commodities and have less say in
their own care. I think finding and using the proper language is important
to good prosthetic and orthotic outcomes. If it becomes clear that the
term Patient is required for Medicare et al to recognize our service, I
will
certainly adjust my stance accordingly! Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Justin Foster
Prosthetist/Orthotist
********************
To unsubscribe, send a message to: <Email Address Redacted> with
the words UNSUB OANDP-L in the body of the
message.
If you have a problem unsubscribing,or have other
questions, send e-mail to the moderator
Paul E. Prusakowski,CPO at <Email Address Redacted>
OANDP-L is a forum for the discussion of topics
related to Orthotics and Prosthetics.
Public commercial postings are forbidden. Responses to inquiries
should not be sent to the entire oandp-l list. Professional credentials
or affiliations should be used in all communications.
I am sorry I haven't had the opportunity of replying sooner to your OANDP-L
comments below.
1) The O&P Professional Groups that participated in the Neg Reg Meetings,
most of whom subscribe to OANDP-L should disseminate their positions) at
Neg Reg on this effective O&P list serve media. Have your credentialing,
professional or trade associations kept you informed as to the Neg reg
process and issues by this or other means since Neg reg started in October?
2) The word patient and consumer is conveniently and often interchanged
depending on
what and how it is being referenced. Those whom chose not to pursue
regulation or regulatory accountability of the O&P profession, utilize
consumers as the recipients.However,the same people use patient when
attempting to raise coverage for the devices they are providing or justify a
turf war issue.
As to Neg Reg process, we were exclusively addressing the delivery and
qualifications
of comprehensive O&P and reimbursement issues from Medicare.
You would be surprised how often the word patient was always utilized by
all committee members!
Certainly you as a O&P college graduate and resident of the Bay area in
California can see that if the business of O&P truly wants to be regarded,
treated and paid as professionals they ought to support and help enact
state and federal regulation and refer to their customer base as patients
whom are beneficiaries of a specialized health care service.
As far as the labeling of users of comprehensive O&P devices, more than one
patient as said to me on many occasions I don't care what you call me as
long as I can receive qualified services and maintain proper coverage.
Problem is, we have a trade association which consist of DME and O&P
provider members.
This trade association wants to look after there regulatory interests of
both groups.
Thats a impossible when O&P services has been broad brushed with the DME
fraud and abuse reported in the 2001 IOG report.
**AOPA LEGISLATIVE ACTION ALERT**
July 23, 2003
URGE LAWMAKERS TO SUPPORT O&P IN THE MEDICARE REFORM BILL CONFERENCE
COMMITTEE ISSUES FACING O&P
1. Oppose the provision in the Senate Medicare reform bill (S. 1) that
would implement a 7-year Medicare payment freeze on non-custom orthotic
services;
2. Oppose the provision in the Senate Medicare reform bill (S. 1) that
would establish a demonstration project permitting physical therapists
to prescribe and provide health care services, including O&P services,
without a physician's prescription.
3. Accept the House of Representatives' Medicare reform bill (H.R. 1)
provision that would implement a limited Medicare competitive bidding
program only for off-the-shelf orthotic devices. While AOPA would
prefer not to accept competitive bidding in any form, it is clear that
competitive bidding or a payment freeze is imminent and competitive
bidding based on its narrow scope (i.e. limited to off-the-shelf
orthotic devices) will be less damaging on the O&P field and the
patients we serve.
One trade association represents two entirely different sectors.
Why should qualified professional providers of comprehensive O&P, oppose
competitive bidding for non custom O&P and DME supplies or oppose a price
freeze for off the shelf products IF it will help separate the delivery of
comprehensive O&P from that of providing wheel chairs, hospital beds, oxygen
tanks and other DME products and eliminate cutbacks in coverage in
comprehensive services ?
The beat of the drum goes on!
Thanks for your comments!
Tony
----- Original Message -----
From: Justin Foster < <Email Address Redacted> >
To: < <Email Address Redacted> >
Sent: Monday, July 21, 2003 1:48 PM
Subject: Re: [OANDP-L] Fw: [OANDP-L] O&P Profession and the Patient Defeated
at Neg Reg
Thank you for the updates Tony, it does seem there are some strange
dealingssurrounding this process...
I do wish to comment on the labelling of P&O care recipients as
consumers.I feel that the title of consumer lends a certain power that
patient
does not. As a patient, you are under the supervisory care of a health
care provider, and are being cared FOR. As a consumer, you are making active
choices about your course, and which road you will be taking. I am on the
fence about this issue, and certainly welcome debate, however I would like
to see our patients enjoy the same power as consumers in other
industries,the power to get up and walk out on poor quality work without
having to
payfor it!!! It seems to me that O&P professionals should work WITH
patients/consumers/clients,
not in OUR interpretation of their best interests. I do not think this is
unique to O&P, it may in fact be endemic
to all medical and para-medical practice. If medicine is becoming a
business (has it always been???), let's empower our patients to function
as the
consumer, thereby requiring all medical professionals to ensure positive
outcomes, or lose the revenue. As long as people are kept under the thumb
of a patient label, they are treated as commodities and have less say in
their own care. I think finding and using the proper language is important
to good prosthetic and orthotic outcomes. If it becomes clear that the
term Patient is required for Medicare et al to recognize our service, I
will
certainly adjust my stance accordingly! Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Justin Foster
Prosthetist/Orthotist
********************
To unsubscribe, send a message to: <Email Address Redacted> with
the words UNSUB OANDP-L in the body of the
message.
If you have a problem unsubscribing,or have other
questions, send e-mail to the moderator
Paul E. Prusakowski,CPO at <Email Address Redacted>
OANDP-L is a forum for the discussion of topics
related to Orthotics and Prosthetics.
Public commercial postings are forbidden. Responses to inquiries
should not be sent to the entire oandp-l list. Professional credentials
or affiliations should be used in all communications.
Citation
“FW: [OANDP-L] US Politics /Patient Defeated at Neg Reg,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 2, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/221435.
