AOPA O & P Policy Forum

AOPA O & P Policy Forum

Warren Mays, CPO

5/23/2005

Like the rest of you, I am receiving faxes from AOPA requesting my attendance at the above noted forum in Washington, DC this coming June. Unfortunately, I will be unable to attend. I would like to point out, however, and I'm sure I'm stating the obvious, that our best chance for success establishing and maintaining high standards for O and P providers will not be at our insistance, but that of our patients. I will assume that AOPA has arranged for a number of patients to speak to their experiences receiving substandard care at the hands of non-ABC credentialed persons, and the ultimate successes achieved at the hands of ABC-certified professionals. The voices of the patients are, and will always be, the motivating factor for ANY governmental restrictions in who can take care of whom. Once we have established ourselves as the only worthy providers of O and P care, we can THEN tackle the issues of Medicare reimbursement.

 Out of curiosity, who does the Amputee Coalition of America endorse as qualified providers? Surely, they are out beating down the doors of Congress touting the skills of the ABC-certified practitioners who have cared for them so well. Right?

Warren R Mays, CPO