In an updated response to a “We the People” petition signed by more than 110,000 members of the O&P community, the White House has announced the Durable Medical Equipment Medicare Administrative Contractors “will not finalize” the draft Lower Limb Prostheses Local Coverage Determination.
According to a statement released by CMS, “CMS is committed to providing high quality care to all Medicare beneficiaries, including any beneficiary in need of a prosthesis. Both CMS and its contractors have heard your concerns about access to prostheses for Medicare beneficiaries.”
In addition, CMS announced it will convene a multidisciplinary Lower Limb Prostheses Interagency Workgroup in 2016 “to develop a consensus statement that informs Medicare policy” in the creation of best practices regarding lower limb prostheses. The workgroup will include clinicians, researchers and policy specialists from various federal agencies. CMS will provide room for public comment on and engagement with the workgroup, according to the statement.
The “We the People” petition, spearheaded by the National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics (NAAOP), was published July 31, 2015 and called for the White House to rescind the draft policy.
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