NAAOP Press Statement on Yesterday's Meetings in Maryland and Washington
NAAOP
Description
Collection
Title:
NAAOP Press Statement on Yesterday's Meetings in Maryland and Washington
Creator:
NAAOP
Date:
8/27/2015
Text:
PRESS STATEMENT
August 27, 2015, 2:30 PM ET
Washington, D.C.-The National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics
and Prosthetics (NAAOP) had a strong presence at yesterday's Public Comment
Meeting hosted by the Medical Directors of the DME Medicare Administrative
Contractors (MACs) and at a subsequent meeting in the HHS Secretary's Office
in Washington D.C.
The Public Comment Meeting, which took place in Maryland to address the
draft Local Coverage Determination for Lower Limb Prostheses, included 200
amputees from around the United States as well as hundreds of other
concerned individuals both in the room and participating by teleconference.
Peter Thomas, NAAOP's general counsel and a bilateral amputee himself,
brought the audience to its feet early on, saying This draft policy makes
it more difficult for patients seeking to walk again after the loss of a
limb when it should be encouraging patients to push themselves through the
difficult rehabilitation process to become ambulatory. It will lead to added
costs to Medicare as more individuals with limb loss simply give up, remain
in a wheelchair or become long-term residents of nursing homes.
NAAOP President, David McGill, spoke about the draft LCD from his
perspective as an above-knee amputee, noting that the elimination of the
concept of 'potential' when assessing an amputee's functional level creates
an artificial ceiling that many amputees will never be able to break
through. He also asked the Medical Directors to not sacrifice the physical
and emotional well-being of amputees on the altar of administrative or
economic efficiency, concluding, surely our right to mobility is worth
more than that.
NAAOP Vice President Jim Rogers, CPO, also a speaker at the meeting, later
described the days' events as heartfelt, emotional and deeply humbling. He
added, At no other time in the history of our profession have we come
together, patients, clinicians, educators and allied health professionals at
one time with one voice in support of those we serve. We upheld the right of
amputees to access modern technology; we attacked the imposition of barriers
to that care and we argued that the O&P professional is indeed qualified -
and perhaps the most qualified professional - to accurately evaluate the
amputee and determine the best treatment plan.
NAAOP live-tweeted the event and gave people the opportunity to watch some
of the proceedings in real time via Periscope. Ashlie White, NAAOP Secretary
and Director of Social Media, stated, I believe this is the first time in
the history of the O&P profession that any organization has provided live
video access to a Medicare public meeting. White further noted that she
thinks it increasingly likely that live streaming tools like the one used by
NAAOP will give all licensed and certified practitioners and patients the
ability to be a part of Medicare and DME MAC processes more directly.
NAAOP Immediate Past President Paul Prusakowski observed that [b]y
listening in on the meeting by phone and following the updates online
minute-by-minute, it was clear that this event represented one of the most
significant moments in the history of our profession. The passionate
testimonies by both diverse professionals and the people who rely upon our
care clearly struck both emotional and intellectual chords that resonated
far beyond the four walls of that room and underscored the significant role
that our profession plays as part of the rehabilitation team in restoring
the lives of the patients we all serve.
George Breece, Executive Director of NAAOP, added, We were gratified to
hear that the Veterans Administration will also oppose this proposal,
calling for it to be rescinded. They understand the impact this restrictive
policy will have on all amputees using prosthetic limbs, including veterans
and those with private insurance. This is not just a Medicare issue and we
are grateful to the VA for taking such a strong stand and protecting access
to appropriate prostheses for its veteran amputees.
Later in the day, McGill and Thomas participated in a meeting with
high-ranking CMS officials, including Acting Director Andrew Slavitt and
Acting Principal Deputy Administrator, Dr. Patrick Conway. Both walked away
satisfied that senior Medicare officials understand the issues and share
serious concerns with the policy proposed by Medicare's contractors, the DME
MACs.
Administrator Slavitt specifically stated that Medicare officials would be
speaking with the DME MAC Medical Directors to talk about this policy,
noted Thomas, labeling the willingness of CMS's central office to get
involved a positive sign. McGill added, It was encouraging to hear Acting
Administrator Slavitt state that his team 'is very personally engaged' on
this issue, and it is clear that he and Dr. Conway have devoted significant
time and attention to the concerns raised by NAAOP, the O&P Alliance, the
Amputee Coalition and many other stakeholders.
While Thomas termed the days' events historic, he cautioned that much work
remains to be done. We're not yet at the finish line, he said. It is
imperative that as many people as possible submit comments to this proposed
LCD before the August 31st deadline. McGill agreed, pointing out that
comments made at the public meeting yesterday, while powerful, are not part
of the official record the DME MAC Medical Directors will review when
assessing their next steps with this draft LCD. That would be impossible
because literally none of the medical directors took notes during the three
hours of public comments. We implore all NAAOP members and anyone else
interested in making their voice heard to utilize the formal written comment
submission process before the end of the day Monday.
For information on how you can submit comments before August 31st, visit
NAAOP's website at < <URL Redacted>> www.naaop.org and
< <URL Redacted>> www.SaveProsthetics.org.
Contact: David McGill
631.627.1603
<mailto:<Email Address Redacted>> <Email Address Redacted>
Please visit our website at: www.naaop.org
NAAOP
1501 M Street, NW
7th Floor
Washington, DC 20005-1700
e-mail: <Email Address Redacted>
(800) 622-6740
(202) 624-0064 Phone
(202) 785-1756 Fax
www.naaop.org
August 27, 2015, 2:30 PM ET
Washington, D.C.-The National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics
and Prosthetics (NAAOP) had a strong presence at yesterday's Public Comment
Meeting hosted by the Medical Directors of the DME Medicare Administrative
Contractors (MACs) and at a subsequent meeting in the HHS Secretary's Office
in Washington D.C.
The Public Comment Meeting, which took place in Maryland to address the
draft Local Coverage Determination for Lower Limb Prostheses, included 200
amputees from around the United States as well as hundreds of other
concerned individuals both in the room and participating by teleconference.
Peter Thomas, NAAOP's general counsel and a bilateral amputee himself,
brought the audience to its feet early on, saying This draft policy makes
it more difficult for patients seeking to walk again after the loss of a
limb when it should be encouraging patients to push themselves through the
difficult rehabilitation process to become ambulatory. It will lead to added
costs to Medicare as more individuals with limb loss simply give up, remain
in a wheelchair or become long-term residents of nursing homes.
NAAOP President, David McGill, spoke about the draft LCD from his
perspective as an above-knee amputee, noting that the elimination of the
concept of 'potential' when assessing an amputee's functional level creates
an artificial ceiling that many amputees will never be able to break
through. He also asked the Medical Directors to not sacrifice the physical
and emotional well-being of amputees on the altar of administrative or
economic efficiency, concluding, surely our right to mobility is worth
more than that.
NAAOP Vice President Jim Rogers, CPO, also a speaker at the meeting, later
described the days' events as heartfelt, emotional and deeply humbling. He
added, At no other time in the history of our profession have we come
together, patients, clinicians, educators and allied health professionals at
one time with one voice in support of those we serve. We upheld the right of
amputees to access modern technology; we attacked the imposition of barriers
to that care and we argued that the O&P professional is indeed qualified -
and perhaps the most qualified professional - to accurately evaluate the
amputee and determine the best treatment plan.
NAAOP live-tweeted the event and gave people the opportunity to watch some
of the proceedings in real time via Periscope. Ashlie White, NAAOP Secretary
and Director of Social Media, stated, I believe this is the first time in
the history of the O&P profession that any organization has provided live
video access to a Medicare public meeting. White further noted that she
thinks it increasingly likely that live streaming tools like the one used by
NAAOP will give all licensed and certified practitioners and patients the
ability to be a part of Medicare and DME MAC processes more directly.
NAAOP Immediate Past President Paul Prusakowski observed that [b]y
listening in on the meeting by phone and following the updates online
minute-by-minute, it was clear that this event represented one of the most
significant moments in the history of our profession. The passionate
testimonies by both diverse professionals and the people who rely upon our
care clearly struck both emotional and intellectual chords that resonated
far beyond the four walls of that room and underscored the significant role
that our profession plays as part of the rehabilitation team in restoring
the lives of the patients we all serve.
George Breece, Executive Director of NAAOP, added, We were gratified to
hear that the Veterans Administration will also oppose this proposal,
calling for it to be rescinded. They understand the impact this restrictive
policy will have on all amputees using prosthetic limbs, including veterans
and those with private insurance. This is not just a Medicare issue and we
are grateful to the VA for taking such a strong stand and protecting access
to appropriate prostheses for its veteran amputees.
Later in the day, McGill and Thomas participated in a meeting with
high-ranking CMS officials, including Acting Director Andrew Slavitt and
Acting Principal Deputy Administrator, Dr. Patrick Conway. Both walked away
satisfied that senior Medicare officials understand the issues and share
serious concerns with the policy proposed by Medicare's contractors, the DME
MACs.
Administrator Slavitt specifically stated that Medicare officials would be
speaking with the DME MAC Medical Directors to talk about this policy,
noted Thomas, labeling the willingness of CMS's central office to get
involved a positive sign. McGill added, It was encouraging to hear Acting
Administrator Slavitt state that his team 'is very personally engaged' on
this issue, and it is clear that he and Dr. Conway have devoted significant
time and attention to the concerns raised by NAAOP, the O&P Alliance, the
Amputee Coalition and many other stakeholders.
While Thomas termed the days' events historic, he cautioned that much work
remains to be done. We're not yet at the finish line, he said. It is
imperative that as many people as possible submit comments to this proposed
LCD before the August 31st deadline. McGill agreed, pointing out that
comments made at the public meeting yesterday, while powerful, are not part
of the official record the DME MAC Medical Directors will review when
assessing their next steps with this draft LCD. That would be impossible
because literally none of the medical directors took notes during the three
hours of public comments. We implore all NAAOP members and anyone else
interested in making their voice heard to utilize the formal written comment
submission process before the end of the day Monday.
For information on how you can submit comments before August 31st, visit
NAAOP's website at < <URL Redacted>> www.naaop.org and
< <URL Redacted>> www.SaveProsthetics.org.
Contact: David McGill
631.627.1603
<mailto:<Email Address Redacted>> <Email Address Redacted>
Please visit our website at: www.naaop.org
NAAOP
1501 M Street, NW
7th Floor
Washington, DC 20005-1700
e-mail: <Email Address Redacted>
(800) 622-6740
(202) 624-0064 Phone
(202) 785-1756 Fax
www.naaop.org
Citation
NAAOP, “NAAOP Press Statement on Yesterday's Meetings in Maryland and Washington,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 26, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/237603.
