Re: Reply To A Parent's response to Tony Barr's opinion on NY parity legislation
tony barr
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Collection
Title:
Re: Reply To A Parent's response to Tony Barr's opinion on NY parity legislation
Creator:
tony barr
Date:
2/11/2005
Text:
Keith,
Thank you and ACA's Leslie Duncan for forwarding your reply and your
understandable reaction to my post.
The point, I was attempting to make and have been for 20 years, is that as
long as it takes for the providers of comprehensive O&P health care services
, as are in New York and the other 39 unregulated states, to get themselves
regulated, and provide accountability and oversight to licensed providers,
the more O&P benefits will be further reduced or eliminated.
There are far too many unlicensed and unqualified providers (one is too many
! )in these unregulated states that have no minimum educational standards
for providers nor accountability thru a optional two certification board
accredidation system.
Anyone in NY, regardless of their education in the field, can hang a shingle
saying they are prosthetists,treat patients and be reimbursed by
Mediare/Medicaid or other third party payers.
Does that make sense to you? Do you blame insurers for eliminating coverage
to a disadvantage population that is provided by unregulated health care
practitioners ? Should we support mandatory coverage for reimbursement to be
paid to unqualified providers ?
Currently many unregulated states are being targeted by state legislators to
eliminate Medicaid coverage of O&P altogether. New York thus far has been
spared but its on the chopping block.
My point being, state government cant force the O&P profession to regulate
themselves so the alternatives to sending that message are drastic.
As law enforcement officer, you might ask how would one penalize the
culprit of any fraud abuse or delivery of improper 0& P services if there is
no law prohibiting them and no license to suspend,revoke,etc?
Regardless of who commits such acts and are found guilty of abusing a
unregulated health care profession, would the Academy and ABC/BOC revoke
their membership and credentials if they were members ?
What if they didn't have credentials or membership?
They don't need any to practice in New York.
How would a unlicensed untrained provider be prevented from continuing to
provide O&P services and do further harm to patients and adding to the vast
amount of fraud and abuse to the Medicare/Medicaid system ?
The issue in short as you claim was:
Now is the time we need unity between amputees and their families. I was
then FORCED to turn to Not- For-Profit , Welfare System and the Community I
live in to provide a prosthetic for my son and maintain financial stability
for my other two children. While I am forever grateful for these avenues and
applaud their generosity I do not want to depend on hand outs, nor do I want
the possibility of my son depending on them for the rest of his life. We
NEED Insurance Companies to be responsible and provide coverage for my PAID
premiums. That is the issue in short.
Our organization provides amputee prosthetic rehabilitation to over 150
amputees annually whom have no other resources of funding. I would love to
put ourselves out of business by having affordable and qualified services
prosthetic services provided to everyone (do you hear me AOPA,ACA and
providers?)
I would agree that unity is needed, not just among amputees and their
families but with the 'quaified' New York providers of these special health
care services and the organizations whom allegedly represent the users of
such devices (ACA).
Why doesn't ACA unify their members and support regulation in every state
including New York?
Would not mandatory coverage legislation for coverage be better accomplished
in regulated states?
We all need to be responsible and support meaningful regulation of the
profession, to better ensure proper coverage.
That goal will be difficult to accomplish when you have a divided profession
and nonproductive meaningless attempts at advocacy.
There is no free lunch.
I can not and will not support mandatory prosthetic coverage legislation
from insurers whom must also pay unqualified providers.
My suggestion for direction...
Attach a O&P regulation bill to the parity legislation, and I'll be the
first in line to support it, and I'll bring some friends!
Thank you again,
Tony Barr
Barr Foundation
www.oandp.com/barr
561-394-6514
----Original Message-----
From: Orthotics and Prosthetics List [mailto:<Email Address Redacted>] On
Behalf Of Leslie Duncan
Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2005 11:03 AM
To: <Email Address Redacted>
Subject: [OANDP-L] A Parent's response to Tony Barr's opinion on NY parity
legislation
> Hi All,
>
> When I first read, yesterdays mail I was a little confused. I am not an
amputee. My son is. When I realized, his cancer would necessitate an
amputation I did not run to the yellow pages to find a prosthesis. I did
what I believe any average person would do. I talked with professionals at
the hospital, other amputees and the ACA. Did the research with second
opinions and found a > > quality> > prosthesis for my son. When I did
this, I found I out that my insurance does not cover ANY prosthesis > >
qualified> > or > > unqualified.> > I was then FORCED to turn to Not-
For-Profit , Welfare System and the Community I live in to provide a
prosthetic for my son and maintain financial stability for my other two
children. While I am forever grateful for these avenues and applaud their
generosity I do not want to depend on hand outs, nor do I want the
possibility of my son depending on them for the rest of his life. We NEED
Insurance Companies to be responsible and provide coverage for my PAID
premiums. That is the issue in short.
>
> I did not see any links to proposed or possible legislation that Mr.
> Barr is referring to. I believe that> '> s because there is none in NY
> but I could be wrong. If there is, I would GLADLY support such
> legislation as the separate issue that it is. I see no reason to > >
> Cut Off My Nose Despite My Face> >
>
> As Far as the cost issue, has anyone seen the numbers on the cost savings
for the state of Colorado since the insurance mandate? I think it would be
fair to say that the savings would way offset any costs. In fact the
legislation Mr. Barr proposed would cost the state plenty to license and
monitor the prosthesis but I would still support such a bill as a SEPARATE
issue.
>
> I also would like to address Mr. Barr> '> s > > wave of additional> >
unqualified and untrained providers to NY. I> '> m not an Economics Major
but I understand supply and demand and I don> '> t see an increase in
Amputees ( demand) just amputees with an ability to pay their provider. Now
assuming there is this > > wave> > of providers it would be fair to say
they would be qualified as well as unqualified, thus creating competition
(supply) and lowering costs. Like any business I believe only the QUALIFIED
will survive for the most part.
>
> I am a little disturbed by the fact that Mr. Barr could not graciously
decline support BUT actually posted opposition to Legislation on a
well-visited web site for amputees. Now is the time we need unity between
amputees and their families. Without at least this we stand little chance. I
am a police officer with no self serving justification created by a vested
interest.
>
> Of course like Mr. Barr> '> s this is just one opinion. I think the real
answer comes from Colorado.They provided a model for us to look at. Do they
have State Licencing and Regulations in place? If not, was there a Wave of
unqualified providers there? Do we know of any amputees that have been hurt
by their party> '> s bill? Better yet how many have been HELPED?
>
> I don> '> t have the answers but if pointed in the right direction we
could do the footwork.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Keith Molinari
> <Email Address Redacted>
> (845)794-9680
>
> Leslie Duncan, MIS
> Manager, Information Services
> Amputee Coalition of America
> 900 East Hill Ave., Suite 285
> Knoxville, TN 37915-2568
> 888-267-5669 ext. 8115
> Fax 865-525-7917
> <Email Address Redacted>
> www.amputee-coalition.org
Thank you and ACA's Leslie Duncan for forwarding your reply and your
understandable reaction to my post.
The point, I was attempting to make and have been for 20 years, is that as
long as it takes for the providers of comprehensive O&P health care services
, as are in New York and the other 39 unregulated states, to get themselves
regulated, and provide accountability and oversight to licensed providers,
the more O&P benefits will be further reduced or eliminated.
There are far too many unlicensed and unqualified providers (one is too many
! )in these unregulated states that have no minimum educational standards
for providers nor accountability thru a optional two certification board
accredidation system.
Anyone in NY, regardless of their education in the field, can hang a shingle
saying they are prosthetists,treat patients and be reimbursed by
Mediare/Medicaid or other third party payers.
Does that make sense to you? Do you blame insurers for eliminating coverage
to a disadvantage population that is provided by unregulated health care
practitioners ? Should we support mandatory coverage for reimbursement to be
paid to unqualified providers ?
Currently many unregulated states are being targeted by state legislators to
eliminate Medicaid coverage of O&P altogether. New York thus far has been
spared but its on the chopping block.
My point being, state government cant force the O&P profession to regulate
themselves so the alternatives to sending that message are drastic.
As law enforcement officer, you might ask how would one penalize the
culprit of any fraud abuse or delivery of improper 0& P services if there is
no law prohibiting them and no license to suspend,revoke,etc?
Regardless of who commits such acts and are found guilty of abusing a
unregulated health care profession, would the Academy and ABC/BOC revoke
their membership and credentials if they were members ?
What if they didn't have credentials or membership?
They don't need any to practice in New York.
How would a unlicensed untrained provider be prevented from continuing to
provide O&P services and do further harm to patients and adding to the vast
amount of fraud and abuse to the Medicare/Medicaid system ?
The issue in short as you claim was:
Now is the time we need unity between amputees and their families. I was
then FORCED to turn to Not- For-Profit , Welfare System and the Community I
live in to provide a prosthetic for my son and maintain financial stability
for my other two children. While I am forever grateful for these avenues and
applaud their generosity I do not want to depend on hand outs, nor do I want
the possibility of my son depending on them for the rest of his life. We
NEED Insurance Companies to be responsible and provide coverage for my PAID
premiums. That is the issue in short.
Our organization provides amputee prosthetic rehabilitation to over 150
amputees annually whom have no other resources of funding. I would love to
put ourselves out of business by having affordable and qualified services
prosthetic services provided to everyone (do you hear me AOPA,ACA and
providers?)
I would agree that unity is needed, not just among amputees and their
families but with the 'quaified' New York providers of these special health
care services and the organizations whom allegedly represent the users of
such devices (ACA).
Why doesn't ACA unify their members and support regulation in every state
including New York?
Would not mandatory coverage legislation for coverage be better accomplished
in regulated states?
We all need to be responsible and support meaningful regulation of the
profession, to better ensure proper coverage.
That goal will be difficult to accomplish when you have a divided profession
and nonproductive meaningless attempts at advocacy.
There is no free lunch.
I can not and will not support mandatory prosthetic coverage legislation
from insurers whom must also pay unqualified providers.
My suggestion for direction...
Attach a O&P regulation bill to the parity legislation, and I'll be the
first in line to support it, and I'll bring some friends!
Thank you again,
Tony Barr
Barr Foundation
www.oandp.com/barr
561-394-6514
----Original Message-----
From: Orthotics and Prosthetics List [mailto:<Email Address Redacted>] On
Behalf Of Leslie Duncan
Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2005 11:03 AM
To: <Email Address Redacted>
Subject: [OANDP-L] A Parent's response to Tony Barr's opinion on NY parity
legislation
> Hi All,
>
> When I first read, yesterdays mail I was a little confused. I am not an
amputee. My son is. When I realized, his cancer would necessitate an
amputation I did not run to the yellow pages to find a prosthesis. I did
what I believe any average person would do. I talked with professionals at
the hospital, other amputees and the ACA. Did the research with second
opinions and found a > > quality> > prosthesis for my son. When I did
this, I found I out that my insurance does not cover ANY prosthesis > >
qualified> > or > > unqualified.> > I was then FORCED to turn to Not-
For-Profit , Welfare System and the Community I live in to provide a
prosthetic for my son and maintain financial stability for my other two
children. While I am forever grateful for these avenues and applaud their
generosity I do not want to depend on hand outs, nor do I want the
possibility of my son depending on them for the rest of his life. We NEED
Insurance Companies to be responsible and provide coverage for my PAID
premiums. That is the issue in short.
>
> I did not see any links to proposed or possible legislation that Mr.
> Barr is referring to. I believe that> '> s because there is none in NY
> but I could be wrong. If there is, I would GLADLY support such
> legislation as the separate issue that it is. I see no reason to > >
> Cut Off My Nose Despite My Face> >
>
> As Far as the cost issue, has anyone seen the numbers on the cost savings
for the state of Colorado since the insurance mandate? I think it would be
fair to say that the savings would way offset any costs. In fact the
legislation Mr. Barr proposed would cost the state plenty to license and
monitor the prosthesis but I would still support such a bill as a SEPARATE
issue.
>
> I also would like to address Mr. Barr> '> s > > wave of additional> >
unqualified and untrained providers to NY. I> '> m not an Economics Major
but I understand supply and demand and I don> '> t see an increase in
Amputees ( demand) just amputees with an ability to pay their provider. Now
assuming there is this > > wave> > of providers it would be fair to say
they would be qualified as well as unqualified, thus creating competition
(supply) and lowering costs. Like any business I believe only the QUALIFIED
will survive for the most part.
>
> I am a little disturbed by the fact that Mr. Barr could not graciously
decline support BUT actually posted opposition to Legislation on a
well-visited web site for amputees. Now is the time we need unity between
amputees and their families. Without at least this we stand little chance. I
am a police officer with no self serving justification created by a vested
interest.
>
> Of course like Mr. Barr> '> s this is just one opinion. I think the real
answer comes from Colorado.They provided a model for us to look at. Do they
have State Licencing and Regulations in place? If not, was there a Wave of
unqualified providers there? Do we know of any amputees that have been hurt
by their party> '> s bill? Better yet how many have been HELPED?
>
> I don> '> t have the answers but if pointed in the right direction we
could do the footwork.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Keith Molinari
> <Email Address Redacted>
> (845)794-9680
>
> Leslie Duncan, MIS
> Manager, Information Services
> Amputee Coalition of America
> 900 East Hill Ave., Suite 285
> Knoxville, TN 37915-2568
> 888-267-5669 ext. 8115
> Fax 865-525-7917
> <Email Address Redacted>
> www.amputee-coalition.org
Citation
tony barr, “Re: Reply To A Parent's response to Tony Barr's opinion on NY parity legislation,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 6, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/224389.
