AOPA HEADLINES
AOPA WORKING FOR YOU
Tom Kirk speaks during the AOPA Annual Business Meeting.
and our colleagues is to use all of my energy and enthusiasm to carry through on what we started this past year. We need to build a stronger capability so each and every one of you will survive and continue to serve our patients. The commitment I ask from each of you is your unswerving support for AOPA.” She urged the audience to “proactively seek out colleagues whose companies may not be members of AOPA and convince them they need to pay to play as well. The last time we were in Orlando, I picked up a copy of Harry Potter’s wand—one of my favorite book series ever. I cannot wave this wand and magically expect our O&P fortunes to change, and folks who are not members cannot afford to be on the sidelines assuming ‘Harry or Hermione’ will do it for them. Everyone has to be ‘Harry or Hermione’ if we’re going to survive in the years ahead. There is no real magic wand—that’s just wishful
Anita Liberman-Lampear speaks at the meeting. 34
O&P Almanac NOVEMBER 2013
thinking—we need everyone to work hard and support these incredible efforts. So, watch for those folks who do not have a member ribbon attached to their badges. They are the ones you need to seek out. They are the ones that need to be a player like you. They are the ones that can help ensure that we all have a future, a future together, a future worth saving.” In his closing remarks, outgoing President Tom Kirk recounted the almost daily challenges confronting the O&P community in the past years, particularly noting the lawsuit AOPA filed against CMS and the resulting outpouring of support. He paid tribute “to the more than 200 members who stepped up to the plate and became members of the Heritage Club. Their generous support provides nearly $100,000 toward the litigation expense. The other gratifying aspect of this accountability effort is that AOPA made the decision to file the lawsuit knowing that we could pay the bills. We did not have to delay our actions until we passed the hat. You had already provided a ‘rainy day’ fund, as our treasurer refers to it, that could underwrite this expense. The fact that you are helping replenish the fund gives us even more wherewithal to meet challenges of the future. And of that we can be sure—there will be more and possibly even bigger challenges to face in the days and years ahead, in terms of outcomes, changing health-care benefit plans, competitive bidding, and possibly more litigation.” Other major news during the World Congress included the exquisitely
timed introduction of the Medicare Orthotics & Prosthetics Improvement Act of 2013 (HR 3112) by Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pennsylvania) and Mike Thompson (D-California) on Tuesday, September 17. President Kirk and Executive Director Tom Fise ducked out of the Board of Directors meeting to lead a press webinar announcement of the bill’s introduction, which also included Rep. Glenn Thompson and former CMS Administrator Tom Scully. Bloomberg News, The Washington Post, several payer publications, and general health-care media picked up the story with headlines ranging from “Orthotic Suppliers Criticize CMS Enforcement” to “Trade Group Says CMS Failing to Enforce Laws Against Unlicensed Orthotics, Prosthetics Providers.”
During the World Congress, AOPA member attendees were urged to use the special kiosks in the registration lobby area to send a message to their member of Congress urging support of HR 3112. AOPA members only needed to enter their zip code, and the stock letter accessed on www.AOPAVotes.org could be personalized. The letter also requested Congressional members to co-sponsor this bipartisan bill that would help curb Medicare fraud and abuse. HR 3112 would mandate CMS to enforce requirements that payments only be remitted to licensed providers in licensure states or, in unlicensed states, to providers who are certified by ABC, BOC, or organizations with equivalent requirements. a