Clarify Your Credentials to Stay Ahead
By Walter Gorski, AOPA Government Affairs Department

What good are credentials if no one knows what they mean?

Just because we know the difference between a CO, CP, BOCO or LPO does not necessarily mean that case managers, payors, physicians or patients even recognize the terms. With mandatory accreditation as envisioned by Medicare, the alphabet soup of credentials and designations is going to become even more complex.

In an increasingly crowded marketplace, O&P professionals must be proactive in differentiating their profession and expertise from other health care providers.

Educate referral sources 
Most of us immediately call our credit card company or phone company when we notice billing mistakes. We need to be as proactive with our referral sources because they control the checkbook.

Referral sources have myriad choices when an orthosis or prosthesis is required. Can a pharmacy, DME store, Wal-Mart or a physical therapist deliver the same level of quality as that of a certified O&P practitioner? When a patient has options, we need to make sure that referral sources know certified O&P practitioners are the most effective and efficient caregivers of O&P.

Now, this is not an effort to instigate mudslinging among rehabilitation team members. We do not need to engage in a circular firing squad. Each plays an important role in patient care. Yet, the choice is up to you to help your referral sources make informed decisions about where their patients receive O&P care.

As they say, all politics is local. It is up to you to arm your referral sources with the most current information so that they can make informed decisions. And the decisions they make will determine whether you prosper.

Accreditation will increase confusion
Soon, there will soon be a new player on the block that will complicate matters greatly: accreditation. Congress mandated accreditation several years ago in an effort to improve quality and reduce fraud and abuse. We are on the verge of seeing accreditation implemented for all providers that furnish DME and O&P.

Based on the increasingly cut-throat environment surrounding O&P, I guarantee that once accreditation is in full swing, accredited providers will use this new designation to their advantage. They will try to link accreditation with quality. They will tout their accreditation status as a Medicare provider-of-choice to furnish O&P.

How, then, do we distinguish ourselves in this environment?

One of the first rules in the political arena is not to let your opponent define you. Otherwise, you will be playing defense explaining why your opponent is wrong.

So, why wait? Play offense and let the other guys play defense. Let them tell referral sources why they are a better choice than you.

How to do it
Tell your referral sources about your clinical education, background and training. Talk about the patients you have helped and how they are progressing. Describe your facility and how you have the ability to evaluate the patient; fabricate, fit, adjust and repair the full range of O&P devices in-house and can take care of their patients immediately. Talk yourself up and don’t be shy. If you don’t, no one is going to do it for you.

AOPA is creating a one-page fact sheet that you can use with referral sources. (Read on for information about how to receive a copy of this sheet.) You can provide this information to initiate or continue a dialogue with referral sources and discuss why you are the best choice for their patients.

Educate policymakers, too
It is one of AOPA’s chief priorities to educate lawmakers and other policymakers about O&P. For the past several years, I’ve met with the policymakers who regulate O&P. In the beginning, my challenge is always the same—to educate them about the intricacies of O&P and show them that certified professionals are specifically trained in the provision of appropriate and cost-effective O&P care. Only once policymakers understand O&P can they advocate for the profession.

One example stands out in my mind. Not so long ago we met with one policymaker who thought that all prefabricated orthotic devices were off-the-shelf devices.

Not everyone needs to know this distinction. But if policymakers are implementing a competitive bidding program for “off-the-shelf” orthotic devices, those decisionmakers must know the difference between a prefabricated device that requires fitting and adjustment and one that is “off-the-shelf.”

Mistakes like these mean patients suffer. Furthermore, a correction costs money. In the current political and economic environment, proposals that cost money face uphill challenges even if they are the correct course of action.

Test your lawmakers
Even with the added assistance of daily newspaper articles about the valor and bravery of our soldiers combatting limb loss, the knowledge about O&P is not pervasive.

If you don’t believe me, try this test. Call your local congressman’s district office and ask to speak with the health care staffer or caseworker. Start a conversation about the challenges you face in your practice.

You may run into a very knowledgeable staffer who has a good understanding of O&P, but I suspect most believe an orthotic is nothing more than something that fits in a shoe.

However, before you make a call, be prepared to take action. Don’t simply give your local officials a test. Be ready to invite them to tour your facility and talk about the key issues that impact your practice and patients. If you need help, please call me.

With or without AOPA’s assistance, our advice is to start this education process now. If you would like a copy of AOPA’s fact sheet detailing the benefits of a certified O&P practitioner, call AOPA at (571) 431-0876.

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) 431-0876 or visit www.AOPAnet.org.