News

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Releases its Draft Systematic Review of Lower Limb Prostheses Research

The Agency for Healthcare Quality Research (AHRQ), in conjunction with a contractor known as an Evidence-based Practice Center, has released a draft systematic review of current scientific literature that address the use of lower limb prostheses in the United States.  The Systematic review was originally announced in September of 2016 with a request for additional […]

AOPA Holds Press Event on the “Amputee Tech Gap” 

On October 19, AOPA hosted a press event at the National Press Club in Washington DC, to share the important research from the RAND Corporation on the economic value of advanced prosthetics. Dr. Soren Mattke from RAND presented the findings of this recently published research that concluded that microprocessor knees are associated with improvements in physical function […]

VA Proposed Rule Includes Troubling Provision Restricting Veterans’ Ability to Receive Care from Their Chosen Provider

The October 16, 2017 Federal Register included a proposed rule published by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that intends to “reorganize and update the current regulations related to prosthetic and rehabilitative items, primarily to clarify eligibility for prosthetic and other rehabilitative items and services, and to define the types of items and services available […]

Short-Term Health Insurance, End of Subsidies Paid to Health Insurers—What Does It Mean to You and Your Patients?

On October 12, President Trump undertook a non-legislative overhaul of the country’s healthcare insurance program, and some significant administrative ‘repeal’ of the Affordable Care Act. Two major executive actions comprise this effort: (1) clearing the path for sale of “short-term” insurance plans that do not have full ACA essential health benefits and other rules, at […]

AOPA and APMA Send Letter to CMS Administrator Regarding A5513 Coding

On Friday, September 29, 2017 AOPA and the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) sent a joint letter to CMS Administrator Seema Verma expressing their concern about the recent DME MAC coding clarification for HCPCS code A5513. The coding clarification essentially states that in order to bill Medicare for a custom fabricated diabetic insert using HCPCS […]

CMS Withdraws BIPA 427 Proposed Rule

On October 3, 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that it has withdrawn the proposed rule that represented the first step in creating regulations that would implement the qualified provider provisions for prostheses and custom fabricated orthoses legislated in section 427 of the Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 (BIPA).  The […]