From the Hill
Getting Involved in the
Politics of O&P
By Walter Gorski
Would you get involved in O&P advocacy efforts if any of the following headlines appeared in the Wall Street Journal?
Some may say, “No, these things could never happen.” AOPA and others in the O&P field don’t want to take that chance. That is why one of AOPA’s primary missions is to educate members of Congress about O&P, one by one, to protect the business of O&P.
We strive to establish long-term relationships with decision makers and let them know what is important to us. One of the best ways to accomplish this goal is to host fundraising events with key members of Congress to ensure that our message is being heard.
What is the O&P PAC?
Typically, each year, AOPA hosts a handful of events for several lawmakers through the O&P Political Action Committee (PAC).
The O&P PAC is the only political action committee designed to raise awareness of O&P issues on Capitol Hill. Using the contributions of our PAC supporters, we are able to put O&P on a level playing field with other health care interests in Washington. Having a well-supported PAC allows us to more effectively advocate for our interests with our elected officials in order to protect the future of O&P.
Led by AOPA President Walter L. Racette, CPO, AOPA welcomed some old and new faces to O&P PAC events held in April for three key members of Congress.
First-time attendees included Bill Hineman, CPO, from Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics of Bismarck, N.D.; Frank Vero, CPO, from Ocala Artificial Limb and Brace, Ocala, Fla., and Bob Dzurenda from BioMetrics Inc., Trumbull, Conn. AOPA past presidents Don Hardin and Michael Hamontree, AOPA vice president Brad Ruhl and current NAAOP president Mark Deharde, all seasoned political veterans, rounded out the group in attendance. Each attendee contributed his personal time and money to meet with key lawmakers who will have a direct impact on future decisions that will shape the Medicare program.
We met with House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chair Nancy Johnson (R-Conn.), ranking Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Democrat Pete Stark (D-Calif.) and Senate Finance Committee member Kent Conrad (D-N.D.).
Another round of events is being planned for July.
New perspectives
I spoke with each of the first-time attendees who participated in these O&P PAC events to get his perspective. Was their time and money well spent? Did they think they had an impact on the lawmakers we met with? What would they like to tell others in the field about their experience?
Armed with a few general questions, I called each of the O&P professionals and listened. I got an earful.
First impressions
are lasting ones Bill Hineman said that before attending the events, he really didn’t think O&P PAC activities pertained to him. He added that he never really knew what happened to the money when he was asked to contribute to the PAC.
But after attending the PAC events, he was struck by the lack of knowledge of O&P. “Lawmakers view us as foot orthotic fabricators or salesmen who provide wheelchairs, walkers or canes. They don’t look at us as providing services to a vulnerable patient population or have a real appreciation or understanding about the profession of O&P. This was very disconcerting to me since they are making policy decisions that affect my livelihood.”
Bob Dzurenda concurred, “I never really gave much thought to the O&P PAC. I would give modestly each year, participate in the Policy Forum and thought our membership and involvement in organizations like AOPA or the Academy was enough. They would take care of making sure our industry was taken care of; they didn’t need me to get involved any more than I already was.
“From my perspective, I think there is a general feel in the O&P field that ‘they’ will get favorable laws passed. Medicare reimbursements will go up. Audits will be reduced. Codes will be approved. But we don’t stop and think who ‘they’ are.
“After my visit, my impression of the O&P PAC changed considerably. My former impression was way off base. ‘They’ are everyday people with insight and concern for the future of O&P.
“‘They’ are proactive people who take time out of their private business to help all of us. ‘They’ are manufacturers who are not letting others control their future. ‘They’ are people who do not have the victim’s attitude of ‘What can we do?’ ‘They’ are concerned enough to know that there is no ‘they’ unless they do something.”
Getting involved
When asked for the biggest piece of advice to share with other O&P professionals, there was unanimity.
“My biggest piece of advice to other O&P professionals is, don’t take the victim attitude with your future—do something,” said Dzurenda. “If you don’t get involved you have no right to complain about Medicare rate freezes or lowering reimbursement, physical therapists stealing your work, SNFs and hospitals not paying for orthoses, or not being able to get reimbursed for new high technology.”
Vero added, “Get involved. Take an active interest at the state or national level. It should be the desire and duty of practitioners to become involved.”
Hineman conveyed a similar message. “It is important that we take a personal role and not rely on someone else to fight for our interests. We are the most qualified to educate lawmakers about O&P. We need to characterize our arguments before others do it for us in an unfavorable light.”
Messages
Each person attending the O&P PAC events took something different from each meeting.
“The most important message I heard at our meetings was that there are a lot more people who are using our services now, and this will continue to increase. We need to convince Congress and Medicare that we are the most qualified provider of cost-effective services,” Vero stated.
Dzurenda heard a different but equally important message. He remembers Representative Johnson talking about competing health care interests vying for her time.
“Nancy Johnson [said] that the Medicare pie is only so big, and there are so many other groups trying hard to get [O&P’s] piece of the pie. And if you don’t hold onto your piece it will be almost impossible to get it back.
“She went on to say how important it is for us to meet like this, because this is what the other groups are doing who are trying to steal our piece of the pie. If the doctors get an increase in their fees, then that has to get taken from someone else’s slice of the pie,” Dzurenda added.
Hineman remembers another comment. “We were told that while it was very unlikely that there will be a Medicare bill this year, it was almost a certainty that there will be one next year. And that for those groups who are sitting on the sidelines and not making an effort to educate lawmakers about issues that are important to them, it will be too late to get involved next year. I, for one, don’t want O&P to be on the sidelines. The stakes are just too high.”
The O&P profession has a core group of activists who play an important role in advancing the O&P agenda. More involvement from the field is a necessity, though, when one considers all the work we must do to be better recognized as a profession in the eyes of policy makers.
Call me at (571) 431-0809 to accept this challenge and become an advocate for O&P.
Walter Gorski is the director of legislative and regulatory affairs for the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA). Through government relations efforts, AOPA works to influence policies affecting the future of the O&P profession. Questions? Call (571) 431-0809 or visit www.AOPAnet.org.
By Walter Gorski
Would you get involved in O&P advocacy efforts if any of the following headlines appeared in the Wall Street Journal?
- Congress Expands O&P
Competitive Bidding Nationwide
Only 50 percent of patient care facilities expected to survive - Wal-Mart Dives into O&P Marketplace and Vows to Open Orthotic Facilities at Half of Its 3,864 U.S. Locations
- Congress Reduces Medicare O&P Payments by 4.75 Percent in 2008 as Part of Major Medicare Cost- Cutting Effort
- Medicare Finds New O&P
Technology Is Not Cost-Effective
Agency resolves not to expand coverage for new technology in effort to protect taxpayer dollars
Some may say, “No, these things could never happen.” AOPA and others in the O&P field don’t want to take that chance. That is why one of AOPA’s primary missions is to educate members of Congress about O&P, one by one, to protect the business of O&P.
We strive to establish long-term relationships with decision makers and let them know what is important to us. One of the best ways to accomplish this goal is to host fundraising events with key members of Congress to ensure that our message is being heard.
What is the O&P PAC?
Typically, each year, AOPA hosts a handful of events for several lawmakers through the O&P Political Action Committee (PAC).
The O&P PAC is the only political action committee designed to raise awareness of O&P issues on Capitol Hill. Using the contributions of our PAC supporters, we are able to put O&P on a level playing field with other health care interests in Washington. Having a well-supported PAC allows us to more effectively advocate for our interests with our elected officials in order to protect the future of O&P.
Led by AOPA President Walter L. Racette, CPO, AOPA welcomed some old and new faces to O&P PAC events held in April for three key members of Congress.
First-time attendees included Bill Hineman, CPO, from Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics of Bismarck, N.D.; Frank Vero, CPO, from Ocala Artificial Limb and Brace, Ocala, Fla., and Bob Dzurenda from BioMetrics Inc., Trumbull, Conn. AOPA past presidents Don Hardin and Michael Hamontree, AOPA vice president Brad Ruhl and current NAAOP president Mark Deharde, all seasoned political veterans, rounded out the group in attendance. Each attendee contributed his personal time and money to meet with key lawmakers who will have a direct impact on future decisions that will shape the Medicare program.
We met with House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chair Nancy Johnson (R-Conn.), ranking Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Democrat Pete Stark (D-Calif.) and Senate Finance Committee member Kent Conrad (D-N.D.).
Another round of events is being planned for July.
New perspectives
I spoke with each of the first-time attendees who participated in these O&P PAC events to get his perspective. Was their time and money well spent? Did they think they had an impact on the lawmakers we met with? What would they like to tell others in the field about their experience?
Armed with a few general questions, I called each of the O&P professionals and listened. I got an earful.
First impressions
are lasting ones Bill Hineman said that before attending the events, he really didn’t think O&P PAC activities pertained to him. He added that he never really knew what happened to the money when he was asked to contribute to the PAC.
But after attending the PAC events, he was struck by the lack of knowledge of O&P. “Lawmakers view us as foot orthotic fabricators or salesmen who provide wheelchairs, walkers or canes. They don’t look at us as providing services to a vulnerable patient population or have a real appreciation or understanding about the profession of O&P. This was very disconcerting to me since they are making policy decisions that affect my livelihood.”
Bob Dzurenda concurred, “I never really gave much thought to the O&P PAC. I would give modestly each year, participate in the Policy Forum and thought our membership and involvement in organizations like AOPA or the Academy was enough. They would take care of making sure our industry was taken care of; they didn’t need me to get involved any more than I already was.
“From my perspective, I think there is a general feel in the O&P field that ‘they’ will get favorable laws passed. Medicare reimbursements will go up. Audits will be reduced. Codes will be approved. But we don’t stop and think who ‘they’ are.
“After my visit, my impression of the O&P PAC changed considerably. My former impression was way off base. ‘They’ are everyday people with insight and concern for the future of O&P.
“‘They’ are proactive people who take time out of their private business to help all of us. ‘They’ are manufacturers who are not letting others control their future. ‘They’ are people who do not have the victim’s attitude of ‘What can we do?’ ‘They’ are concerned enough to know that there is no ‘they’ unless they do something.”
Getting involved
When asked for the biggest piece of advice to share with other O&P professionals, there was unanimity.
“My biggest piece of advice to other O&P professionals is, don’t take the victim attitude with your future—do something,” said Dzurenda. “If you don’t get involved you have no right to complain about Medicare rate freezes or lowering reimbursement, physical therapists stealing your work, SNFs and hospitals not paying for orthoses, or not being able to get reimbursed for new high technology.”
Vero added, “Get involved. Take an active interest at the state or national level. It should be the desire and duty of practitioners to become involved.”
Hineman conveyed a similar message. “It is important that we take a personal role and not rely on someone else to fight for our interests. We are the most qualified to educate lawmakers about O&P. We need to characterize our arguments before others do it for us in an unfavorable light.”
Messages
Each person attending the O&P PAC events took something different from each meeting.
“The most important message I heard at our meetings was that there are a lot more people who are using our services now, and this will continue to increase. We need to convince Congress and Medicare that we are the most qualified provider of cost-effective services,” Vero stated.
Dzurenda heard a different but equally important message. He remembers Representative Johnson talking about competing health care interests vying for her time.
“Nancy Johnson [said] that the Medicare pie is only so big, and there are so many other groups trying hard to get [O&P’s] piece of the pie. And if you don’t hold onto your piece it will be almost impossible to get it back.
“She went on to say how important it is for us to meet like this, because this is what the other groups are doing who are trying to steal our piece of the pie. If the doctors get an increase in their fees, then that has to get taken from someone else’s slice of the pie,” Dzurenda added.
Hineman remembers another comment. “We were told that while it was very unlikely that there will be a Medicare bill this year, it was almost a certainty that there will be one next year. And that for those groups who are sitting on the sidelines and not making an effort to educate lawmakers about issues that are important to them, it will be too late to get involved next year. I, for one, don’t want O&P to be on the sidelines. The stakes are just too high.”
The O&P profession has a core group of activists who play an important role in advancing the O&P agenda. More involvement from the field is a necessity, though, when one considers all the work we must do to be better recognized as a profession in the eyes of policy makers.
Call me at (571) 431-0809 to accept this challenge and become an advocate for O&P.
Walter Gorski is the director of legislative and regulatory affairs for the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA). Through government relations efforts, AOPA works to influence policies affecting the future of the O&P profession. Questions? Call (571) 431-0809 or visit www.AOPAnet.org.
