Re: Bypassing Orthotists

Tony Barr

Description

Title:

Re: Bypassing Orthotists

Creator:

Tony Barr

Date:

2/10/2006

Text:

Interesting discussion here.

Besides within the industry's national O&P trade association, there is a
crucial need to distinguish and separate DME from comprehensive O&P products
and who is qualified to delievered each.


As to provider qualification and related note, and as confirmed by ABC, it
matters not whether the certified provider is a certified prosthetist or
orthotist to deliver comprehensive orthotic or prosthetic services since
cross credentialing is not restricted by either credentialing association.
 
ABC has taken the position that it can not restrict the free trade of a
certified practitioner.

If a person can legally practice orthotics and or prosthetics without any
qualifications in their jurisdiction, ABC will not interfere with the right
of a certified prosthetist to perform orthotic work, so long as that person
does not imply that he/she is certified by ABC as an Orthotist. The reverse
holds true as well. ABC will NOT credential the practitioner in that second
discipline unless they meet our eligibility criteria. ABC spokesperson.

So my question, related to the post Don Joy bypassing Orthotist, If 40
states and two credentialing associations that don't restrict any provider
from delivery and billing for services of comprehensive orthotic or
prosthetic services, why are manufactures prohibited from marketing their
products directly to patients?

If cross credentialing or O&P services are delivered In a licensure
(regulated) state : the ABC Canons say (C1.2) that an ABC credential holder
must abide by the law. If the state has a licensure law and the person is
practicing outside their scope, they are violating the law. That would be a
violation of the Canons. Rule R3.1 also speaks to this issue and may be
applied.

Inquiring minds want to know ,who protects the patient from harm and fixed
pricing in a unregulated profession and industry?

The manufacture, the credentialing associations, the profession ?
Regulating the providers is not a silver bullet ,but it's a start.

Tony Barr



-----Original Message-----
From: Orthotics and Prosthetics List [mailto:<Email Address Redacted>] On
Behalf Of Joyce Perrone
Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2006 7:56 AM
To: <Email Address Redacted>
Subject: [OANDP-L] Bypassing Orthotists

EBI, Donjoy, Marquis -- all have put items on patients using non-certified
orthotists. This has been going on for a very long time.
And not just low-level devices (stock and bill) but more complex items, as
well. Donjoy in Pittsburgh has been great with working together with the
orthotist community, but I've not seen as great an effort Nationally. As
long as they can bill Medicare, and every other provider out there, I'm sure
they will do this. My question to the group - WILL LICENSURE HELP THIS???
For those of you in states that have licensure - has it helped you and HOW
has it helped?? I think it is important for everyone to have a clear
understanding of this and if it is of help, then to get on the bandwagon and
pay to get licensure in your state. We do not have it yet - and I am
curious as what those of you with it have experienced.

Joyce J Perrone
De La Torre O&P, Inc & PROMISE Consulting 300 Alpha Drive Pgh PA 15238
412-599-1112



-----Original Message-----
From: Orthotics and Prosthetics List [mailto:<Email Address Redacted>] On
Behalf Of Sheredos, Carol (NIH/NICHD)
Sent: Friday, February 10, 2006 12:53 PM
To: <Email Address Redacted>
Subject: [OANDP-L] Bypassing Orthotists

Joyce -

GREAT point! Now THAT is what we're talking about - Licensure would most
assuredly keep non-qualified persons [I call them the riff-raff] out of the
arena! We used to have the same problem with L'Nard splints, but we managed
to talk our facility administrator into establishing a system to keep these
self-proclaimed brace specialists out of our facility, unless they were
called in by our Rehabilitation Dept. However, that was only on a facility
basis. The world is far larger than that... Without licensure, these types
will continue to be allowed to sell their wares directly to facilities and
to the public.

On another note, but also related to licensure, is the 2/9/06 news release
regarding the formation of an O&P alliance for government relations.
Unfortunately, there is a statement - paragraph 4 - that undermines the
whole effort: While coming together for the purposes of the Orthotic &
Prosthetic Alliance, ABC, the Academy, AOPA and NAAOP have all agreed to
stay true to their respective missions and advance their own agendas in
areas not related to the consensus goals of the larger group. - Too bad.
Until the O & P field can get it together regarding licensure, the
effectiveness of such alliances is predictably limited. If they can get
together for this, why not for licensure?

Carol A. Sheredos, PT, MA

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-

Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2006 07:56:04 -0500

From: Joyce Perrone < <Email Address Redacted> >

Subject: Bypassing Orthotists

EBI, Donjoy, Marquis -- all have put items on patients using non-certified
orthotists. This has been going on for a very long time. And not just
low-level devices (stock and bill) but more complex items, as well. Donjoy
in Pittsburgh has been great with working together with the orthotist
community, but I've not seen as great an effort Nationally. As long as they
can bill Medicare, and every other provider out there, I'm sure they will do
this.

My question to the group - WILL LICENSURE HELP THIS??? For those of you in
states that have licensure - has it helped you and HOW has it helped?? I
think it is important for everyone to have a clear understanding of this and
if it is of help, then to get on the bandwagon and pay to get licensure in
your state. We do not have it yet - and I am curious as what those of you
with it have experienced.

Joyce J Perrone

De La Torre O&P, Inc & PROMISE Consulting

300 Alpha Drive Pgh PA 15238

412-599-1112

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OANDP-L is a forum for the discussion of topics
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should not be sent to the entire oandp-l list. Professional credentials
or affiliations should be used in all communications.

Citation

Tony Barr, “Re: Bypassing Orthotists,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 5, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/226142.