Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Jake Wood, CP

Letter to Wisconsin,
 
My letter concerns everyone in Wisconsin. What the Wisconsin Society of
Orthotists, Prosthetists and Pedorthotists (WSOPP) has establish is a sound
foundation to accomplish our memberships goals. Respectively, we are just starting
and we still have a significant amount of work to achieve. The committee
chairmen and volunteers diligently have already spent countless hours working on
Licensure, Medicaid and Parity. Our volunteers are working for your patients
and your future.
 
WSOPP Medicaid Committee has met with Medicaid representatives in Madison
Wisconsin. WSOPP and Medicaid representatives have both agreed enthusiastically
that we have mutual issues that once resolved will benefit our patients and
the communities we serve. I believe we can significantly assist the state
medicaid system to develop exactly what we need and want (we can write the
book). The Medicaid Committee will organize the communication between the state
and WSOPP members. You may want to join just to find out, or even develop, the
new/clarified rules.
 
WSOPP Licensure Committee has already collected existing state's licensure
laws. WSOPP has been networking with other states to discover strengths and
weaknesses from those licensure laws. We can use this information to strengthen
our Licensure proposal for the State of Wisconsin.
 
WSOPP Parity Committee has established support from American Amputee
Coalition (ACA). The ACA has offered their mailing data base to assist WSOPP in
communication with the residents in Wisconsin. The Parity Committee has collected
various state parity laws and is studying other laws to help design the
Wisconsin Parity law. Governor Schwarzenegger passed a parity law in California
that requires all health insurance companies to provide O&P services. No
co-payments or deductibles. The only prior approval needed is a physician
prescription. The efforts of the California Orthotics and Prosthetics Association,
COPA, is a significant reason that California has a parity law today.
 
So yes, you can be part of the process to correct all the immoral inequities
from the past. WSOPP has established an excellent core group of
practitioners/members. Unfortunately we still need your help. The common bond that we all
have is simple, we all have the same problems.
 
If you are a practitioner and/or own a facility, your membership and/or
non-membership will determine a lengthy weak conclusion. Or by you helping we can
establish laws and guidelines that our professions can be proud of and reap
the rewords for decades. Wisconsin can and will be the template for the rest
of the nation. But that is up to you.
 
I encourage everyone to be proactive and join WSOPP. You are welcome at our
April 20, 2007 members meeting. Feel free to visit our web site at:
_ <URL Redacted> ( <URL Redacted>) .
 
Sincerely,
Jake R. Wood C.P., F.A.A.O.P.
President of W.S.O.P.P.
10506 West Bluemound Road
Milwaukee, WI 53226
414-257-2727
414-257-9898 (fax)