Replies (part 4) "honest question about our o and p organizations"

Replies (part 4) "honest question about our o and p organizations"

Aaron Laster

3/18/2022

----Unfortunately your observation is spot on. You did not however mention
your state organization (not state academy chapter). State Associations
focus on issues, legislation, and state specific concerns of their
membership. There is no organization more valuable to O and P businesses.
Join and get involved. Take a look at OPGA/Point which also offers discount
purchasing as well as useful business information. It isnt necessary to
join every organization within the O and P industry.

-------Love this question!

When I came into this profession 20+ yrs ago, we were basically told ABC
was the only respectable route to certification & facility accreditation.
 Joining the Academy & AOPA was strongly encouraged, but even at that time
there seemed to be a lot of overlap & confusion about what each
organization was about. When I started my own practice we paid for both
until we tried to get a discount fro AOPA due to the very small nice of our
practice. It felt unfair that companies with more than 20 offices paid the
same as a one practitioner/owner facility. They would not change their
policy so we stopped paying them. We have had numerous discussions about
dropping the Academy over the yrs d/t their outrageous fees, the same
one-size-fits-all fee strategy & frankly, they rather poor quality
webinars. (my experience: webinars presenters spend way to much time
patting each other on the back, acknowledging each others accomplishments,
virtue signaling & presenting info in a juvenile fashion). Only keep it
to obtain credits that I can't get through manufacturer's educational
sources.

Somewhere around the time BOC accepted ABC practitioners for dual
certification or straight up transfers things became very blurred. When
ABC opened the door for BOC practitioners is when I knew our world was all
a lie. They are all in it for the money! Just like all other
governmental agencies...raping the middle class to keep their coffers
full, maintain their bloated staffs & their perks plus- keep their power
over the working men & women of our profession.
IMO--our organizations need to be reduced in size & reworked just like
our bloated & massively corrupt government. Maybe NO National
Certification just state licensures(?). Why pay for Both?! When I worked
as a Physical Therapist Assistant we were licensed by the state. When you
moved state to state, you transferred your license to that state.
Apologies for not offering any answers. This these topics have been a
burr under my saddle for yrs. Maybe we should ALL STOP PAYING FEES for
membership & National Certification(?) But then our source of payment
for service would informed that we are non-compliant & threaten our
livelihood. We are trapped by our organizations. Slaves to their
system.

----Great question. More important the field needs to ask what do these
money grabbing organizations really do for me and my business! How are they
helping me fight insurance companies, loss of income and denials etc! Are
they worth paying? Can they better justify what they do to help my business
thrive and help me grow professionally! Which is what they are really
supposed to be doing in my opinion

----I personally feel they do very little that actually matters. I own a
small practice and the pressures from Medicare and audits and other
legislative matters and insurance matters in general are where we need
support and, in my mind, out to be a focus of these organizations non stop
24 hours a day. Anyone can host a conference and that is great. They talk
about helping but they don't. I have put lots of time into same and similar
issues and made some headway. It wouldn't take much but they don't seem
capable. It is very frustrating. They talk about education and doing all
different kinds of things or put out statements on 3d printing. None of
those things are going to put practices through as much paid as serious
matters related to Medicare and policy. No one batted an eye when PDAC
altered all the codes for feet. No one is talking about the burden of same
and similar audits. I don't care if we have one or three but someone better
actually do something.

Ortho docs and other groups have entire advocacy groups to protect them.
There is not time in a day to see Pts, run a practice, and fight
legislative matters. In my mind, while all need to be aware and involved on
some level, O&P advocacy groups (ie on of the three/4) groups you have
mentioned need to focus on these matters. Dues and grants should fund this
work. We are nowhere near Ortho in terms of power or money or advocacy but
we need a group of people funded from these groups to make a difference. If
those people can't make a difference they need to be fired and a new person
hired.

---—Can we please start having an open conversation publically about the
organizations! I think the organizations think it's easy to understand yet
the population of practitioners in general does not so it shows a
disconnect. Also, money is getting tighter so if we could understand
this and have some conversations like this maybe we decide as a profession
that some changes are needed. We cant keep doing the same thing and expect
different results.