US Politics: Competitive Bidding for Prosthetics

[Wayne Renardson]

The following from OANDP-L. Mr Anderson asks if there are questions or 
suggestions to kindly copy him as he is not sub'd to AMP-L. Course it might 
be more productive to lambaste someone on the list. Does a lot more for your 
mental state:) 

For anyone who does not grasp the ramifications of competitive bidding for 
prosthetics, here's a scenario. 

It passes. Here in Tennessee (and most states) I can rent a cheapo storefront 
on the bad side of town and call my business Beevis Prosthetics. I could find 
myself a couple of hacks to sorta make limbs, and bid very low compared to 
say.... Nashville Orthopedics. I'd probably get some business.  

                                 Some people know the price of everything. 
                                 And the value of nothing. 

                                                      -------Oscar Wilde

Wayne Renardson

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Date sent:   Wed, 18 Sep 2002 08:23:59 -0500  

From:          Jim Andreassen <Jim.Andreassen at VGM.COM>  

Thankfully the U.S. Congress went on summer recess before competitive 
bidding could become reality.  But, the battle is far from over, and the issue 
will re-surface when the Senate revisits this issue as they get back to work in 
September.  

Because we at the Orthotic & Prosthetic Group of America (OPGA) believe 
strongly that a national competitive bidding program would be detrimental to 
all of the independent O&P providers that we support, not to mention the 
patients who've come to rely upon us as critical links in the health-care 
continuum, we are making available informational tri-folds with a tear-off 
postcard for your patients and employees to fill out and mail to their 
congressional representatives.  This is an opportunity for us to help these 
representatives hear from their constituents that will be affected the most by 
this bill...the patients.  

We strongly encourage you to share these with your patients and employees, 
ask them to fill out the tear-off postcard and mail it to their Congressional 
representatives.  You can find information regarding this important issue and 
the addresses of your senators and representatives in the Competitive Bidding 
Information section of www.opga.com.  If you need a password for the site, 
call Jackie Woodman, 1-800-642-6065, as soon as possible.  

Of all the issues that have affected our industry, competitive bidding is the 
most threatening to date.  Please let us help you contact your congressional 
representatives with these tri-folds.  Also encourage your employees and 
patients to write personal letters to their congressperson and senators (sample 
letters are available on our Web site).  

If you would like to act in this war against competitive bidding, please respond 
to this posting and I will email you an order form for the tri-folds.  

Thank you for your assistance and I look forward to your response.  


Jim Andreassen
V.P., OPGA