ATTENTION
COLLEAGUES...
ORTHOTICS AND PROSTHETICS
VICTORY!
YOUR HELP IS STILL NEEDED!
Senator Ron Wyden from Oregon introduced
his amendment for the clinical labs this week. He DID NOT include the
language from HR2479. This language was removed from his bill! This is a
great victory for occupational therapists and physical therapists!
CONGRATULATIONS!
Your voice
was heard in Washington!
This is an important milestone for OTs and PTs in helping preserve our
right to fabricate and dispense orthoses to our Medicare beneficiaries.
Please know AOTA played
a key role in advocating on behalf of therapists with this bill. AOTA brought
to our attention that this language was being added to the clinical lab
bill. In addition, AOTA talked
with the Senate Finance Committee members, along with other organizations
we knew would support our position. Being in Washington, AOTA works
on issues that affect our practices every day. Be sure to let AOTA know
we appreciate all their efforts on the Hill! ASHT is
proud to have such a strong liaison relationship with AOTA, APTA
& HTCC to support our professions.
WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP! HR
2479 IS A BILL THAT SUGGESTS IT PROVIDES EXPENSE REDUCTIONS. FOR THIS
REASON, THE BILL HAS APPEAL TO SENATORS ON THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
THE LANGUAGE COULD BE ADDED TO ANOTHER BILL. WE NEED YOU TO CONTINUE TO
HELP WITH THIS EFFORT!
ASHT
continues to encourage you to help your profession with HR 2479. Although the initiative to tag
the language from this bill (HR 2479) onto the clinical labs bill is dead,
the bill remains sponsored by Congresswoman Shelley Berkley from Las Vegas, Nevada.
Congresswoman Berkley serves as the key sponsor for HR 2479 Medicare
Orthotics and Prosthetics Improvement Act of 2009. She believes this bill
would be effective in reducing fraud, waste and abuse within the Medicare
system. We need to educate her on the many issues that would quickly
surface if this bill would become law. Congresswoman Berkley needs to
withdraw her sponsorship of this bill. We need to explain to her how this
would restrict therapist's practices, interfere with patient care, and
would allow the orthotist and prosthetist organizations to control the
DMEPOS accreditation process in the future.
In addition to continuing
the writing campaign to Congresswoman Berkley, it would be extremely
valuable for all therapists to write the chairman of the Senate Finance
Committee, Senator Max Baucus and any senator on the Senate Finance
Committee in YOUR state. Please find listed below the contact information
for Congresswoman Berkley, Senator Baucus, and the Senate Finance Committee
members:
The Honorable Shelley Berkley
U.S. House of
Representatives
405 Cannon House Office
Building
Washington, DC 20515-4708
Phone:(202) 225-5965
Fax: (202) 225-3119
Toll free: (877) 409-2488
Email: for therapists in Nevada
http://berkley.house.gov/contact/
The Honorable Senator Max Baucus
511 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2651
Fax: (202) 224-9412
http://baucus.senate.gov/contact/
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Democrats
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Republicans
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MAX BAUCUS, MT
JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, WV
KENT CONRAD, ND
JEFF BINGAMAN, NM
JOHN F. KERRY, MA
BLANCHE L. LINCOLN, AR
RON WYDEN, OR
CHARLES E. SCHUMER, NY
DEBBIE STABENOW, MI
MARIA CANTWELL, WA
BILL NELSON, FL
ROBERT MENENDEZ, NJ
THOMAS CARPER, DE
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CHUCK GRASSLEY, IA
ORRIN G. HATCH, UT
OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, ME
JON KYL, AZ
JIM BUNNING, KY
MIKE CRAPO, ID
PAT ROBERTS, KS
JOHN ENSIGN, NV
MIKE ENZI, WY
JOHN CORNYN, TX
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If you have not yet
prepared a letter to Congresswoman Berkley and members of the Senate
Finance Committee, please do so within the next few days. Please click here for a sample letter. It will be quite
powerful for her to receive over a thousand letters from occupational
therapists and physical therapists passionate about their profession and
dedicated to the quality of patient care!
Make the time...help your profession...help your future...ensure your
opportunity to fabricate and dispense orthoses in the future!
Again...congratulations
on a job well done!
ASHT Board
of Directors
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