08/29/2015    

MEDICARE NEWS

Amputees Decry Medicare Payment Overhaul for Artificial Feet

 

The Obama administration is trying to disentangle itself from another controversy over Medicare coverage. Amputees are protesting this time, fearing they'll be denied the latest technology for artificial legs and feet. A campaign is being led by the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association, a trade group, alongside a broader amputee coalition that includes patients. The industry group has several objections that involve emotionally charged issues that hinge on concerns about how the technical language of the proposal would be applied in real life. For example:

 

Dr. David Armstrong

 

A requirement that artificial legs and feet provide "the appearance of a natural gait" is being questioned as vague, unscientific, and potentially restrictive. "There is no normal gait," said Dr. David Armstrong, a professor of surgery at the University of Arizona and diabetes expert. "That's just like saying there is a normal eye color." Armstrong serves as an unpaid medical adviser to the amputee coalition.

 

Source: The New York Times via The Associated Press [8/27/15]