'LICENSES FOR SALE' AND OTHER INTERESTING STUFF!

'LICENSES FOR SALE' AND OTHER INTERESTING STUFF!

Gerardo Hernandez

DEAR LISTSERV MEMBERS:

I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT I AM A LICENSED PROSTHETIST-ORTHOTIST IN THE STATE OF
FLORIDA AND THAT I AM CERTIFIED BY ABC. I HAVE ALWAYS FELT THAT STATE
LICENSURE IS NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN THAT MINIMUM STANDARDS ARE HELD FOR THE PROFESSION
AS A WHOLE, AND TO ENSURE THAT PATIENTS ARE RECEIVING THE BEST CARE AND
ATTENTION WHICH IS AVAILABLE TO THEM.
 
RECENTLY, HOWEVER, I FIND THAT NO MATTER WHERE I GO OR WHAT I READ, THERE IS
ALWAYS SOMETHING OR SOMEONE TRYING TO UNDERMINE THAT WHICH MOST OF US AS A
PROFESSION HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO ACHIEVE. WE HAVE PHYSICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL
THERAPY GROUPS TRYING TO INCORPORATE PROSTHETIC AND ORTHOTIC CARE INTO THEIR
PRACTICE ACT; WE HAVE UNLICENSED INDIVIDUALS STILL PROVIDING CARE AND GOING
UNDETECTED. WE HAVE MANUFACTURER’S SALES REPS FITTING ITEMS AT PHYSICIANS OFFICES
AND MAINTAINING ‘STOCK AND BILL’ PROGRAMS AT NUMEROUS PRACTICES.
 
BUT I THINK THE GREATEST THREAT OF ALL TO OUR PROFESSION IS OURSELVES. BY
SELLING OUT OUR LICENSES TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER, WE ARE UNDERMINING THE EFFORTS
WE HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO ENSURE. IT IS NOT UNKNOWN THAT MANY PRACTITIONERS
HAVE ‘SOLD’ THEIR LICENSES TO AREA DME COMPANIES AND OTHERWISE UNLICENSED ‘
PROSTHETIC AND ORTHOTIC’ FACILITIES. HAS IT BEEN DONE LEGALLY? – PROBABLY. IS
IT AN ETHICAL THING TO DO? NO!! WHY IS NO ONE WATCHING THIS, AND WHY ARE
ARRANGEMENTS OF THIS TYPE BEING ALLOWED. WHY ARE CMS AND MANAGED CARE COMPANIES
PAYING FOR SERVICES PROVIDED BY THESE UNLICENSED INDIVIDUALS?
 
I HAVE RECENTLY REPORTED TO CMS SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS IN FACILITIES NEAR MY OWN
WHO ARE PROVIDING UNLICENSED PROSTHETIC AND ORTHOTIC SERVICES. I HAVE ALSO
COMPLETED A COMPLAINT FORM FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
NOTING THESE INDIVIDUALS. WHY “TATTLE” YOU MAY ASK. UNTIL RECENTLY, I DID NOT
SEE WHY ONE SHOULD GET INVOLVED IN MATTERS LIKE THIS – BUT IF SURVIVAL OF THE
PROFESSION MEANS POLICING IT OURSELVES – SO BE IT! IF YOU DO NOT POLICE YOUR
OWN PROFESSION, NO ONE WILL DO IT FOR YOU. EMPOWER YOURSELF – REPORT UNLICENSED
ACTIVITY. IT IS NOT ONLY YOUR OBLIGATION UNDER THE LICENSURE ACT – IS IT
YOUR MORAL OBLIGATION TO POLICE YOUR PROFESSION AND TO SEE THAT THIS TYPE OF
ACTIVITY DOES NOT INFRINGE UPON YOUR REFERRAL SOURCES. WHILE I DO NOT AGREE WITH
THE METHOD OF REPORTING BY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (IS THERE A NEED TO INVOLVE
THE PATIENT?), I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS THE ONLY WAY UNTIL REVISIONS ARE MADE
TO THE COMPLAINT FORM AND THE COMPLAINT PROCESS ITSELF.
 
THIS IS ALSO A CALL TO OUR STATE AND NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS TO WORK MORE
CLOSELY TOGETHER. CMS AND THE DEPARTMENTS OF HEALTH NEED TO WORK ON A COMMON
FRONT TO CONFRONT THESE INDIVIDUALS. THEY MUST ALSO INCLUDE THE PRACTITIONERS IN
THE PROCESS, BECAUSE WE ARE THE ONES THAT KNOW WHERE THESE ACTIVITIES TAKE
PLACE AND HOW THESE SYSTEMS WORK, MORESO THAN CMS AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.
FAOP (IN FLORIDA) SHOULD ALSO BE INVOLVED IN THIS ENDEAVOR – MAINTAINING LOCAL
‘TASK FORCES’ WHILE ENSURING A UNIFORM STATE-WIDE NETWORK.
 
I AM ALSO CALLING ON AREA PRACTITIONERS, PARTICULARLY IN THE SOUTH FLORIDA
AREA BECAUSE IT IS THE AREA WHICH I SERVICE, TO COME TOGETHER AND ADDRESS THESE
ISSUES. ACCORDING TO CMS REPRESENTATIVES, SOUTH FLORIDA IS ONE OF THE NATIONS
WORST FOR FRAUDULENT AND ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES OF THIS TYPE. WE MUST CONFRONT
ILLEGAL ACTIVITY AND WE MUST WORK TOGETHER WITH OUR STATE AND NATIONAL AGENCIES
TO SEE THAT THESE PROBLEMS ARE CORRECTED.
 
IT IS SAD TO SEE THAT WITH ALL THE DUES WE PAY, WITH ALL THE MEMBERSHIPS WE
HOLD, WITH THE COST OF PRIMARY AND CONTINUING O & P EDUCATION, AND WITH ALL THE
TIME AND EFFORT WE PUT INTO PATIENT CARE, THAT SOME ARE WILLING TO ‘SELL’
THEIR LICENSES FOR ECONOMIC GAIN AND THE GAIN OF SO MANY UNLICENSED INDIVIDUALS
WITH NO INTEREST IN PATIENT CARE WHATSOEVER

HERNAN LUNA, CPO

Allied Orthopedics, Inc.
1460 West 68 St. #101
Hialeah, FL 33014
(305) 828-3090 Phone
(305) 828-5090 Fax
www.alliedorthopedics.com