On Wednesday, December 16th, President Obama signed a short term spending measure that will allow the Federal government to continue to operate until December 22, allowing Congress to finalize its long anticipated Omnibus appropriations and tax break extender legislation that will fund the Federal government for the remainder of the 2016 fiscal year. Two important […]
News
Renewed Hope for Relief from Recent O&P Challenges – Medicare O&P Improvement Act
Seldom does a single piece of legislation do so much for a vital segment of patients and healthcare providers as does the new version of the Medicare O&P Improvement Act of 2015 introduced by Sen. Grassley (R-IA) and Sen. Warner (D-VA) in the Senate (S. 829). The House bill (H.R. 1530 was introduced by Rep. […]
STUDY: MEDICARE AUDIT “MESS” SURGING AT RATE OF 15,000 NEW APPEALS PER WEEK, AGENCY COULD AVOID RAPIDLY MOUNTING INTEREST PAYMENTS
AOPA: More than 100 Small Health Care Providers Already Shut Down Due to Delays and Many More at Risk; No End in Sight to Estimated Backlog of 1.5 Million Appeals Now Languishing. WASHINGTON, D.C.///March 19, 2015///With a massive backlog of Medicare reimbursement appeals by health care providers growing at the alarming rate of 15,000 a […]
O&P Industry Leaders Attend the Inaugural AOPA Leadership Conference
On January 9-11th more than 150 O&P industry leaders participated in the inaugural AOPA Leadership Conference held at the Eau Palm Resort & Spa in Palm Beach, Florida. While the stunning views and great weather outside of the meeting room proved to be quite a temptation, the group remained focused on the task at hand: discussing the […]
$10 Million for O&P Outcomes Research Included in the Cromnibus Bill, and RAC Concerns Addressed
Great news for O&P outcomes research! The $1.1 trillion combined continuing resolution and omnibus appropriations bill (the “cromnibus” bill) enacted December 13 to keep the government running includes a Department of Defense (DoD) section with an additional $10 million for O&P outcomes research funding. This was also included in last year’s budget and we are […]
What Do the Election Results Mean for O&P?
The November 4 Election brought in big changes in Congress, but how will this affect your business? Read the analysis from AOPA Executive Director, Tom Fise, JD below.
CMS Issues Final Rule on OTS Orthotics
CMS Reverses Fields, Scuttles Current Process for Redefining Orthotics, and for Limiting Scope of Practice for Certified Orthotic Fitters Late on Friday afternoon, October 31, CMS released the massive final rule covering end stage renal disease payments and a host of other topics, including its proposal to further amend the regulatory definition of “minimal self-adjustment,” […]
Two Leading Senators Write CMS to Support AOPA View, and Insist That CMS Observe Narrower View of “Minimal Self-Adjustment” in OTS Orthotics
Read the important letter to CMS Administrator Tavenner from Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Tom Harkin (D-IA). The letter speaks for itself, but its essence is to directly challenge CMS for exceeding the simple and straightforward statutory language “minimal self-adjustment” in defining off-the-shelf orthotics. These leading legislators, both of whom were in the Senate about a decade […]
Participate in Mobility Saves!
Mobility Saves Lives & Money at AOPA’s 2014 National Assembly! Attendees of the AOPA National Assembly were among the first to learn about Mobility Saves, the importance of the Dobson-DaVanzo Study, and obtained a copy to participate in the O&P campaign of the year! During the assembly presentation on Sunday September 7th, in Mandalay Bay […]
OTS Regulations
OTS Orthoses – A New CMS Proposed Rule that could Limit your Patients’ Access to Care and Eliminate Orthotic Fitters CMS released a proposed rule on July 11 that addresses Off-the-shelf Orthoses and the definition of Minimal Self-Adjustment. In an effort to define the scope of individuals authorized to fit orthotic devices deemed by CMS […]