As AOPA prepares to bring the voice of the O&P profession to Capitol Hill during the 2026 Policy Forum, we want to share an important update on our ongoing advocacy efforts.

On March 30, AOPA submitted formal comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to its Request for Information on the proposed CRUSH Initiative which is focused on strengthening program integrity and reducing fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicare.

In our comments, AOPA made it clear that we strongly support efforts to eliminate fraud, but those efforts must also protect access to high-quality, clinically appropriate O&P care and avoid unnecessary burdens on qualified providers.

Key priorities we highlighted include:

  • Preventing bad actors before they enter the system by strengthening enrollment screening and oversight.
  • Expanding prior authorization thoughtfully to reduce fraud while ensuring timely access to care.
  • Moving away from “pay and chase” models by investing in smarter, more proactive systems.
  • Improving oversight of Medicare Advantage plans to prevent fraud from shifting across programs.
  • Strengthening protections for beneficiaries by addressing misleading marketing and inappropriate solicitation.
  • Ensuring qualified providers deliver custom care, reinforcing existing standards under federal law.
  • Advancing the Medicare O&P Patient-Centered Care Act, which directly supports fraud prevention while improving patient access. Asking for support of the Medicare O&P Patient-Centered Care Act will be front and center as AOPA members meet with lawmakers during the 2026 Policy Forum April 13-14. If you’re attending the Policy Forum, thank you for stepping forward to advocate. If you’re not, there is still time to register. You can do that here.

Read the full letter.

Advocacy is one of the most powerful ways to protect and advance O&P care. It remains one of the main ways AOPA supports its members. Our comments to CMS reinforce the needs of AOPA members and the O&P profession, ensuring that decision-makers understand the real-world impact on patients, providers, and the profession. We want to make certain that policies are designed to reduce fraud also strengthen access, protect patients, and support the O&P professionals who deliver this life-changing care.

If you have any questions about this, please contact Joe McTernan at jmcternan@AOPAnet.org.