KC Jones
11-19-2005, 08:21 PM
Mods - feel free to move this to the DC Forum if you think it needs to go there.
1) KC Jones, what the hell are you asking us to do?
Copy the contents of this link form email (http://www.exploringhandtherapy.com/splintissue.asp) and mail it to DMEPOS_Quality_Standards_Public_Comments@cms.hhs.gov.
2) KC Jones, why should we care?
If you like me it's because the proposed medicare reforms would kill of my wife's profession. If you hate me it's because uh this will cause the Chiefs to get back the last 4 years of shitty defenses in a do-over reversal of time. Yeah that's it.
3) KC Jones, what the hell is this all about and why do you post questions to yourself?
So there's this new medicare standards reform draft and it states that the only people allowed to make splints are "licensed orthotist, prosthetist, and/or staff certified by the American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics (ABC) or the Board for Orthotist/Prosthetist Certification (BOC)". Which sounds good - especially the part about prosthetics, but splints fall under the category of orthotics. My wife is a certified hand therapist and big part of their field is making custom splints. Basically think table saw/farm equipment accident followed by surgery. The recovery requires custom made splints with outriggers and all kinds of crap to put just the right pressure/tension and so on at just the right angles on the correct joints, tendons, etc. Becoming a CHT requires a masters degree in OT or PT, 5 years of practice, and then passing a very difficult test from the Board of Hand Surgeons. In a nutshell, this is one medical career lobby trying to kill off another medical career field altogether via government regulations. It won't kill them off all in one blow, but it will set a standard for medicare which usually becomes the de facto standard for all health insurance policies.
I post questions to myself because it makes me feel valued, loved, and like an important member of society. That and I forgot to take my meds.
1) KC Jones, what the hell are you asking us to do?
Copy the contents of this link form email (http://www.exploringhandtherapy.com/splintissue.asp) and mail it to DMEPOS_Quality_Standards_Public_Comments@cms.hhs.gov.
2) KC Jones, why should we care?
If you like me it's because the proposed medicare reforms would kill of my wife's profession. If you hate me it's because uh this will cause the Chiefs to get back the last 4 years of shitty defenses in a do-over reversal of time. Yeah that's it.
3) KC Jones, what the hell is this all about and why do you post questions to yourself?
So there's this new medicare standards reform draft and it states that the only people allowed to make splints are "licensed orthotist, prosthetist, and/or staff certified by the American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics (ABC) or the Board for Orthotist/Prosthetist Certification (BOC)". Which sounds good - especially the part about prosthetics, but splints fall under the category of orthotics. My wife is a certified hand therapist and big part of their field is making custom splints. Basically think table saw/farm equipment accident followed by surgery. The recovery requires custom made splints with outriggers and all kinds of crap to put just the right pressure/tension and so on at just the right angles on the correct joints, tendons, etc. Becoming a CHT requires a masters degree in OT or PT, 5 years of practice, and then passing a very difficult test from the Board of Hand Surgeons. In a nutshell, this is one medical career lobby trying to kill off another medical career field altogether via government regulations. It won't kill them off all in one blow, but it will set a standard for medicare which usually becomes the de facto standard for all health insurance policies.
I post questions to myself because it makes me feel valued, loved, and like an important member of society. That and I forgot to take my meds.