House Introduces Medicare O&P Patient Centered Care Act

Published in Orthotics & Prosthetics on March 29, 2021

Representatives Mike Thompson (D-CA), GT Thompson (R-PA), GK Butterfield (D-NC), and Brett Guthrie (R-KY) re-introduced the bipartisan Medicare Orthotics and Prosthetics Patient-Centered Care Act (H.R 1990). The bill is identical to the House version of the bill (H.R. 5262) that was introduced last year, which means we can build on the awareness and support for the bill from the previous Congress. The bill would accomplish four key priorities for the orthotic and prosthetic profession. It would:

Distinguish durable medical equipment (DME) from clinical, service-oriented O&P care in the Medicare statute and regulations, leading to recognition of the clinical care O&P practitioners provide.
Limit the definition of “off-the-shelf” (or “OTS”) orthotics to devices that truly require only “minimal self-adjustment” by the beneficiary him- or herself. This would help ensure that patients continue to have access to the clinical orthotic services they need.
Ban drop-shipping to patients’ homes of custom fit and custom fabricated orthoses and prostheses to prevent fraud and abuse and ensure patient access to clinical O&P care
Exempt licensed and certified O&P practitioners from OTS competitive bidding, treating them similarly to physicians and therapists by allowing them to provide OTS orthoses to their patients—without a contract—at the competitive bidding rate (not the higher fee schedule amount).

Watch the announcement from Peter W. Thomas, General Counsel of NAAOP below.

Request that your members of Congress become co-sponsors today!