We will continue to update this page as we receive additional information.
In July of 2015, the Durable Medical Equipment Medicare Administrative Contractors (DME MACs) published a draft Local Coverage Determination (LCD) for lower limb prosthetic coverage. If this proposal became policy, it would have drastically restricted amputees’ access to lower limb prosthetics. BOC and our partners in the O&P community have taken action to voice our objections to this proposal. This page was created to inform and update the O&P community of the actions taken and the resulting trajectory of this proposal. Please see our Learn More section at the bottom of this page and check this page often for updates.
November 2, 2015
The White House published an updated response to the “We the People” petition. In its statement, the White House announced that CMS will not finalize the July 16, 2015 draft LCD and that CMS will convene a Workgroup in 2016 to develop a consensus statement to address future coverage policies for prosthetic limbs and amputee care. BOC and five other national O&P organizations issued a joint statement on November 3, 2015 in response to that announcement.
October 16, 2015
The White House published an initial response to the “We the People” petition. BOC and five other national O&P organizations issued a joint statement on October 21, 2015 reiterating the initial request that CMS rescind this draft LCD.
Click here to read the communications sent to BOC constituents on August 5, August 12, August 18, August 20, and August 31 to advise them of the status of the O&P community’s joint efforts to rescind Medicare’s draft LCD for lower limb prosthetic coverage. Additional information, including BOC’s comment to Stacey Brennan, M.D., Medical Director of DME MAC Region B, can be found in the Learn More section at the bottom of this page.
August 26, 2015
The public meeting on August 26 was a great success, with approximately 200 amputees and 50 speakers in attendance. Jeff Zeller and Jeff Arnette, two BOC certificants who are both orthotists and prosthetists, shared their thoughts on the draft LCD as speakers at the event. Wendy Miller, BOC’s Chief Credentialing Officer and Zack Chait, BOC’s Regulatory & Legislative Analyst, also participated in the meeting. Following the meeting, there was an Amputee Patient Rally at the Health and Human Services headquarters in Washington, DC, where 150 amputees marched, chanted, and shared stories. An emergency meeting took place later that day between CMS and HHS officials and eight members of the O&P community; which consisted of representatives from AOPA, NAAOP, and the Amputee Coalition. We will continue to update this page as we receive additional information.
Learn More:
Background:
- Draft LCD: Lower Limb Prostheses
- AOPA Executive Summary of Draft LCD
- Amputee Coaltion FAQs
- Joint Press Release from AOPA and the Amputee Coalition
- BOC’s Response to Draft LCD
- O&P Alliance Response to Draft LCD
Petition: