10/10/2023    Bob Sage, DPM

The Biggest Existential Threats to Podiatry

I am an avid reader, not so common commenter of PM
News. Reading the PM September Editorially
Speaking, I couldn't agree more. Thank you for
encouraging our fellow colleagues to join APMA and
to speak at career days.

APMA has been doing its best to put more money in
the pockets of our members by doing things like
making sure we were viewed as essential during the
shutdowns. Fighting the "Podiatry Specific" E/M
codes and enabling us to bill like all the rest of
our colleagues by "time" and "risk". That victory
alone has given us an enormous financial benefit.
Passing the VA Parity bill putting podiatrists in
the same pay category as other physicians.
Stopping the mandatory Cigna -25 modifier policy
adding money in both reduced costs to our offices
and increased reimbursements. Stopping the CMS
policy that prevented coverage for permanent
removal procedures on the same toenail forgetting
that there are instances where a toenail may need
to have a procedure done on different borders at
different times and resolving the problem with the
-59 modifier denials with Aetna associated with
at-risk foot care. All these accomplishments add
money to the pocketbooks of all podiatrists.

On the student recruitment front, APMA has premade
presentations available to use for our members to
give at these events. It is on the APMA website
under Practicing DPMs... Educational Resources...
Multimedia Library... Customizable Presentations.
It is easy to use and professionally done. That
presentation and some hands-on activity will go a
long way in promoting the profession and helps to
get the best and the brightest interested in a
career in podiatry.

We are a small, but mighty profession, filled with
amazing individuals who consistently move our
profession forward, but we need all of us to make
this happen. Unfortunately, we are too small to
let someone else do the work. We are too small to
have someone else pay the bill. When we work
together no task is too difficult or too hard. No
journey is too long.

Bob Sage, DPM, Beloit, WI

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