News

AOPA Submits Comments on LCD Draft Policy

AOPA submitted comments on the LCD Policy on Friday, August 28. Read the comments here. Researchers Referenced in CMS’ Bibliography in Support of LCD Submitted a Letter Objecting to their Use of their Work. Read their comments here. Today is the last day to submit comments on the policy. You can quickly submit a letter from www.AOPAvotes.org.

Update on AOPA’s Amputee Rally and CMS Meeting on LCD Policy

We started with a Tuesday press advisory which included AC and AOPA—Senator Bob Kerrey, Charles Dankmeyer, Adrianne Haslet, Drs. Paul Pasquina and Stephen Fisher, and Amputee Coalition President Dan Berschinski.  It began the tide of press interest which carried over to the August 26th events.  The DME MAC hearing attracted roughly 200 amputees, to hear […]

AOPA and the Amputee Coalition Host News Conference

AMPUTEES, EXPERTS:  DON’T “TURN BACK THE CLOCK” ON STANDARD OF CARE FOR TWO MILLION AMERICAN AMPUTEES  Former Senator Bob Kerrey, Boston Marathon Survivor Join Amputee Coalition and AOPA in Urging Medicare to Rescind Draft Rule Imposing “Serious Setback” for Amputees.  WASHINGTON, D.C – August 25, 2015 – A double amputee who has worn advanced prosthetic […]

AOPA Airs TV and Print Advertising Messages on LCD/Medicare Cutbacks

TV ads—directed to policymakers—appear in Washington, DC market on  Sunday 8/23 ABC Sunday morning news, e.g., “This Week with George Stephanapoulos,” and Mo-WE on CNN, Fox, MSNBC morning new programs; print ad appears in the Washington Post and Hill on multiple occasions. Please recognize that advertising operates with the challenge of conveying a very complicated […]

Joint Press Release from AOPA and the Amputee Coalition on Lower Policy Draft

GROUPS: MEDICARE IS EYEING A “SIGNIFICANT SETBACK” IN CARE FOR TWO MILLION AMERICAN AMPUTEES “Return to 1970’s Standard of Care”: Proposed Cost-Cutting Move Would Severely Limit Availability of Appropriate and Medically Necessary Prosthetic Care for Amputees. WASHINGTON, D.C. – August 19, 2015 — Proposed changes to Medicare’s reimbursement for lower limb prosthetic care would create […]

Update on LCD Policy – What is AOPA Doing?

Dear AOPA Member, Everyone throughout the orthotics and prosthetics world has pulled together and gone “all in” on the effort to fight back the DME MAC proposed revisions to the Local Coverage Determination (LCD) for Lower Limb Prosthetics, and hopefully restore some sanity to delivery of prosthetic limbs to Medicare amputee beneficiaries in the future.  […]

CMS’ Own Data Refutes Need for LCD Policy Change

The Data Doesn’t Lie: Medicare Data Shows That: The 2011 OIG Report, Dear Physician Letter, and RAC Audits, misread an upward trend in prosthetic spending that had already reversed*; For better or worse, Medicare has practiced medicine and changed the prevailing standard of amputee care for the worse; and They appear to be completely oblivious […]

AOPA Meets with Deputy Administrator of CMS Regarding the Proposed LCD for Lower Limb Prosthetics

On August 11, AOPA had a meeting with the Deputy Director of CMS, Sean Cavanaugh, to discuss the DME MACs LCD Lower Extremity Prosthetics Policy Article published July 16, 2015.  The AOPA delegation included: AOPA President Charlie Dankmeyer, CPO; Dr. Paul Pasquina (AOPA Prosthetics 2020 Medical Advisory Board Member); Sam Liang (Hanger Clinics); Brad Ruhl […]

ICD-10 Conversion Tool Available for AOPA Members

There is less than two months remaining until the October 1, 2015 deadline, when the nation switches from ICD-9 to ICD-10 coding for medical diagnoses and inpatient hospital procedures. AOPA has partnered with the Coding Institute to provide an ICD-10 conversion tool to AOPA members. This free membership benefit allows you to quickly find a […]