05/27/2025    Paul Kesselman, DPM

Unlicensed Foot Specialists (Jeffrey Trantalis, DPM)

Unfortunately, this is a state-by-state issue. Dr.
Trantalis is correct that there are innumerable
instances of unlicensed individuals selling their
"orthotic" wares both on the Internet and in
brick-and-mortar stores.

I was recently approached by an international
company asking me to assist them with setting up a
system by which patients would take their own foot
impressions with foam boxes and they would not
only return the devices to the patients but bill
their insurance company. If their insurance did
not cover orthotics the patients would be set up
to self-pay. They were gearing up to do a national
program. I turned their generous offer to design
the system and implement it downstream with all
sorts of compliance checklists. The problem here
is that no prescriber would ever be evaluating the
patient. An order would be based solely on the
results of a patient questionnaire without a
proper evaluation. Just as it is for the Good Feet
Store or the provider noted in the brochure
provided by Dr. Trantalis.

More than thirty states have no licensure
requirements for the sale of orthotics and
prosthetics. The other 20 or so don't have enough
enforcement staff to investigate every allegation.
The Good Feet Store. close to where I used to
practice and close to a well-known pedorthic
facility in Queens NY near Nassau border, has no
licensed individual on staff, where they sell
orthotics for well over $1800 for two pairs. There
is little recourse in NYS because there is no
licensure requirement to provide orthotic devices.
Now of course there is a licensure requirement to
be an MD/DO or DPM who can provide a proper
diagnosis, but unfortunately in NY, there is no
licensure requirement to prescribe and dispense
foot or other orthotics. And that as stated
previously is the general rule in 30 or so other
states.

In NJ right across the river, and in Florida,
where Dr. Trantalis currently resides, there is a
licensure requirement in order to provide both
custom fabricated and custom fitted orthotics.
There is no such requirement for off-the-shelf
devices. So, the question for Dr. Trantalis and
other DPMs in Florida and NJ is, have you instead
of grumbling about it, filed a complaint with
Tallahassee or Trenton with the state licensing
board? If you have and have not acted on these
complaints, have you filed a complaint with your
state's health department or attorney generals’
healthcare fraud bureau? If necessary, have you
had a conversation with your state legislative
representatives and have you brought this to the
attention of your state podiatry board?
If there is a state licensure and I believe there
should be in all fifty states, then these
companies are practicing without a license and
they should be prosecuted to the full extent of
the law.

As for the other states without licensure, both
our state podiatric medical boards as well as our
state pedorthic and orthotists boards should be
working together to enable passage of protective
laws for the consumer. You might even find a
friend at the local chapter of the state
orthopedic board who may wish to get this
licensure protection as well. This needs to be
done solely to protect the consumer and not be
seen as a conduit to enrich the pockets of the
pedorthist, orthotist or podiatrist. This is a
common project for us to work together on for the
well-being of our patients!

Paul Kesselman, DPM, Oceanside, NY

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