FBI Releases Report on Health Care Fraud
Last year, more than $2 billion in health care fraud reimbursements was recovered by the FBI and returned to government and private insurers, according to the recent Financial Crimes Report to the Public.

Durable medical equipment (DME) fraud was one of the areas investigated by the FBI, since it has been associated with organized criminal activity in the past. Prosthetic and orthotic devices, while falling under a different benefit category, are often included with DME when investigating health care fraud.

“Health care fraud is expected to continue to rise as people live longer,” according to the report, which identified Medicare and Medicaid programs as being the “most visible” when it comes to the subject of fraud.
During the 12-month investigation, the FBI investigated 2,423 health care fraud cases that resulted in 588 indictments and 534 convictions. Many cases are still pending plea agreements and trials, according to the report.

For more information or to view the report, visit www.fbi.gov/publications/financial/fcs_report2006/publicrpt06.pdf.

AOPA Assembly Registration Now Open
Registration is now open for the 2007 AOPA National Assembly, Sept. 17-20, The Venetian Resort, Hotel and Casino at www.AOPAnet.org. Register before the early-bird deadline, Aug. 13, to receive significant savings.

O&P professionals nationwide will return to Las Vegas, a successful Assembly location in 2005, for luxurious accommodations at the Venetian Resort, Hotel and Casino, and will have the opportunity to earn over 34 CE credits, network with industry experts, get training on the latest technology and preview new O&P products.

To receive a free copy of the Assembly preliminary program, which outlines events and educational sessions, e-mail your name and mailing address to assembly@AOPAnet.org. The preliminary program will also be published in the July issue of the O&P Almanac and be available online.

For registration questions, contact Sheila Pasquini at (571) 431-0876, ext. 234.

Wounded Warrior Project Heeds Call at Walter Reed
The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP)—a nonprofit group that provides programs and services to severely injured active service members and their families—recently responded to the allegations of decrepit conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center first reported by The Washington Post.

In March, John Melia, executive director of WWP, met with command personnel at Walter Reed, the secretary of veterans affairs and members of Congress to discuss improving the condition of care at Walter Reed and other military hospitals around the country.

“We remain resolute and committed to work with government officials to streamline the recovery process and improve access to care and benefits for the wounded,” said Melia in a statement released by WWP.
For more information, visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org.

Soldiers with Segways
Segs4Vets, a program started by the Disability Rights Advocates for Technology (DRAFT) organization of Washington, D.C., has been donating Segway® personal transporters to amputee soldiers since 2005. The program is based upon the principle that every amputee soldier who could benefit from a Segway should receive one.

The two-wheeled, self-balancing transportation device allows the user to lean forward to move the device forward, lean back to move it backward, and lean left or right to turn. They run on rechargeable batteries.

Amputees and others with limited mobility have found Segways to be an easy and fun way to get around, says the company.

For more information, visit www.segs4vets.org.

AOPA Yearbook: Connect With Old and New Friends
The 2007 AOPA Yearbook will be mailed soon, and finding old and new friends within O&P has never been easier. The directory includes four types of listings (geographic, supplier, product and alphabetical) to quickly locate O&P businesses, products and services—each with detailed contact information.

As one of the many benefits of membership, each AOPA member location receives a free copy of the Yearbook—the “Yellow Pages” of the O&P industry. Non-members can purchase the Yearbook for $150. 

To order additional copies of the Yearbook, contact the AOPA Bookstore at (571) 431-0865 or www.AOPAnet.org/catalog.

O&P Exhibit Opens in Chicago
“Beyond Broken Bones,” a new exhibit documenting the history of orthopedic and prosthetic care, will open May 5 at the International Museum of Surgical Science (IMSS) in Chicago. It will be on view for at least three years, according to the museum.

“We would like visitors to come away from the exhibit with a greater understanding of the historical arc of [O&P], and to be more informed about treatments for orthopedic conditions [and] how they’ve developed,” said Leonard M. Kliwinski, curator at IMSS.

Archival documents and artifacts such as ancient bone-cutting tools, Civil War-era amputation instruments and early 20th century artificial limbs will be on display. Jeffrey M. Brandt, CPO, of Ability Prosthetics and Orthotics has loaned a prosthetic leg that once belonged to his grandfather.

For more information, visit www.imss.org.

Three O&P-Specific Seminars on Medicare Claims
AOPA will host the third Coding & Billing seminar of the year June 6–7 at the Newark Marriott in Newark, N.J. This popular program is immediately followed by a Documentation seminar on June 8. Attendees can earn 21 continuing education (CE) credits for attending both seminars.

Also, on June 21, AOPA will be discussing “The New CMS-1500 Form: Get it right the first time” in a Medicare telephone seminar. For $99 (AOPA members; $199 non-members), an unlimited number of participants per telephone line can earn 1.5 CE credits during the seminar.

To view the dates and topics of future Medicare telephone seminars, to learn more information on coding and billing seminars, or to register, visit www.AOPAnet.org.

Read About, Participate in the Future of O&P
By 2012, O&P will be focusing on disease management and not on devices themselves. That’s just one of the predictions made by the participants of AOPA’s November 2006 O&P leadership conference, “Developing a Shared Vision”—a summary of which is now available online.

Participants identified the top concerns for O&P and recommended actions for achieving their goals.

People are already framing the future of O&P. To have a stake in it, read the report online at www.AOPAnet.org/sharedvision.

Second Annual O&P Extremity Games
Registration is now open for the O&P Extremity Games, an amateur extreme sports competition designed for people living with limb loss or limb difference. The event, presented by College Park Industries, will be held July 19–21 at the Orlando Watersports Complex in Orlando.

Eligible competitors ages 13 and up can sign up to compete and win cash prizes in BMX biking, in-line skating, kayaking, rock climbing, skateboarding, skydiving, surfing and wakeboarding events. For spectators, all events are free and open to the public.

For more information, visit www.extremitygames.com.

PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

Mark Geil, Ph.D., presented one of the two Thranhardt lectures at the 2007 annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists. Geil’s lecture was Comparison of Measurements of Residual Limb Shape Using CAD versus Conventional Devices by Mark Geil, Ph.D. Michelle Hall, CPO, FAAOP, presented the other. Hall’s lecture was Dermatological Problems with Prosthetic Roll-On Liners.

Launched by a gift from J.E. Hanger, the prestigious Thranhardt lecturers consist of the top two clinical abstracts chosen from an open application pool. Two more Thranhardt lectures will be given at AOPA’s National Assembly.

Steven Mirones, president of the Brooklyn, N.Y.-based prosthetics firm Arimed, was honored in March by New Direction Services for his contributions to the community. New Direction Services is a nonprofit organization that serves residents of Staten Island, N.Y.

Mirones and his firm have donated C-Legs and other prosthetic devices to victims of violence, accident and war since 1999.

Thomas V. DiBello, CO, FAAOP, of Dynamic Orthotics and Prosthetics was awarded the Distinguished Practitioner Award at this year’s AAOP meeting. The award was given for an outstanding career as a leader in the profession and a provider of quality care to individuals with disabilities.

Megan Eilbeck has been promoted to marketing manager for Freedom Innovations, based in Irvine, Calif. She previously served as marketing coordinator.

Michael Burton has stepped down from Comfort Prosthetics of Croydon, Penn. to serve as director of sales and marketing at Florida Brace Corporation. He will work out of a new home-based office in Langhorne, Penn. Burton is continuing in his role as OPAF president.

William W. Schumann, CPO, of Northeast Orthotics & Prosthetics Inc., was awarded the Titus Ferguson Award at this year’s AAOP meeting. The award was given for an outstanding career as a leader in the profession and a provider of quality care to individuals with disabilities.

Oscar Pistorius is set to become the first amputee runner to cross over from Paralympic to Olympic events. The 20-year-old from South Africa competed in Athens at the 2004 Paralympics, but is now running the 200 and 400-meter sprints fast enough to earn a spot on the official Olympic team, according to a recent article in Wired.

Jeff Simon is the new director of finance for PEL Supply Company, based in Cleveland. He is responsible for preparing all financial reports and the company’s annual profit plan. He is also managing the accounts receivable and accounts payable departments.

David Krupa, CP, of the Range of Motion Project (ROMP), was given the Mohamed Amin Award for Humanitarian Service. The award was given for his work on ROMP, including opening a full-time office in Guatemala.

Rachel Voss, a 17-year-old from Collinsville, Ill., is excelling as an athlete, despite being diagnosed with arterial venous malformation in her spine five years ago that paralyzed her from the waist down. She was fitted with KAFOs provided by Hanger that allow her to stand and strengthen her bones, but she actively competes in wheelchair athletics. Rachel recently competed with TEAM USA in track, field and swimming events in Johannesburg, South Africa at the Wheelchair & Amputee Sports Federation World Junior Games.

BUSINESS IN THE NEWS

The California Orthotics & Prosthetics Association (COPA) has added a section to its Web site for patients in California. It includes tips on choosing a practitioner and a list of practitioners in California, and is located at www.oandp.com/resources/organizations/copa/patient_info.asp

Limbs of Love, a new organization established by the Amputee and Prosthetic Center in Houston, has donated $250,000 worth of prosthetic limbs to patients unable to purchase them on their own. Sign up for more information about the organization at http://www.limbsoflove.org/

The National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics (NAAOP) has moved to a new location. The new address is: 1501 M Street NW, Seventh Floor, Washington, DC, 20005-1700.

Ohio Willow Wood of Mt. Sterling, Ohio, recently donated a full version of OMEGA Tracer® software, tracing hardware, a T-Ring® II, an OMEGA scanner and an OMEGA carver to the Fallen Heroes Fund to be used at the Center for the Intrepid, the San Antonio-based military facility for U.S. soldiers recovering from amputation.

Otto Bock HealthCare, based in Minneapolis, recently contributed $10,000 to become the first gold level sponsor of the Orthotic & Prosthetic Assistance Fund (OPAF).

PSL Fabrication of Fulton, Mo., has started a blog that focuses on fabrication, prosthetic components, outsourcing, opinions on the industry and more. Check it out at www.prostheticfabrication.typepad.com. 

UnitedHealth Group Inc. of Minneapolis has agreed to acquire Sierra Health Services Inc. for more than $2.4 billion. Sierra is a Las Vegas-based health benefits provider to 310,000 members in Nevada and 320,000 people in senior and government programs throughout the United States.