So EveryBODY Can Move!
Insurance Coverage of Activity Specific Devices
On October 25, 2023, Dankmeyer hosted several guests in support of legislation for the “So EveryBODY Can Move” initiative. Maryland State Senator Pamela Beidle, patient advocate John Edward Heath, our own Emerson Spekis, patient advocate (and our patient) Steven McDonald, and Wendy Spekis (Emerson’s mom), were invited by Dankmeyer CPO Sheryl Sachs for a Dankmeyer tour and discussion of orthotics and prosthetics. This educational effort is part of a national initiative that Sheryl is involved in, and in her role as a Maryland coordinator, she is part of a group of O&P professionals who are advocating for Maryland legislation to clarify that insurance coverage of medically necessary prosthetic limbs and custom orthoses MUST include coverage of activity-specific O&P care.
Sheryl, a long time patient advocate, writes about the So EveryBODY Can Move initiative, and reports on Senator Beidle’s involvement:
We believe that movement is medicine. However, it is far too often that we see individuals who are unable to receive medically necessary orthotic & prosthetic devices, beyond their every-day prostheses/orthoses that would allow them to participate in physical activities like their peers. The “So EveryBODY Can Move” initiative is a national initiative, and in Maryland, our goal is to clarify that insurance coverage of medically necessary prosthetic limbs and custom orthoses MUST include coverage of activity-specific O&P care. Provision of such devices will enable individuals, including those with limb loss and limb difference, to participate in exercise, recreation, and physical activities to remain healthy, fit, and functional.
The initiative was initially viewed as most relevant to growing children with limb loss and limb difference, but expanded to include all children and adults who strive to remain healthy, fit and functional. This initiative is supported by the O&P field broadly, including organizations such as the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association (AOPA), the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (AAOP), the National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics (NAAOP), Forrest Stump, and the Amputee Coalition, to name a few. The Maryland initiative is being run by a team of individuals across O&P organizations and companies and is an effort to improve care for patients.
To date, five states have enacted laws to provide individuals with state-regulated commercial insurance with coverage of activity-specific prostheses and custom orthoses to enhance their ability to participate in fitness, physical activities, and sports such as running, biking, swimming, fitness training, and even the ability to shower or bathe with prostheses or custom orthoses.
In Maryland, we are fortunate to have Senator Pamela Beidle as our primary bill sponsor, who will be introducing this legislation into the Maryland Senate for the upcoming session in 2024! We are in the process of working with the bill drafter to finalize the initial language for the proposed legislation, and we are also hoping to cross-file in the Maryland House of Delegates.
Do you want to get involved?? We’d love your support! There are a few different ways that you can support this initiative:
Provide written testimony as to why this legislation is so important. AOPA will be helping to generate a draft letter, but the more personalized, the better! These written letters will be presented to the committee at the bill hearing. Once our bill is introduced, we can send you instructions for how to upload your testimony.
Reach out to your state legislative members (senators and delegates) and ask them to support the bill once it is introduced! Even if they are not on the committees that will hear the bill, it doesn't hurt to ask for their support.
Ask individuals in your communities to support this legislation. They can also submit written testimony!
Share the word about this initiative on your social media pages--LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.
If you are interested in supporting the initiative, please fill out this form through AOPA or send an email to SEBCM.MD@gmail.com. To quote Kyle Stepp, one of the patient advocates from New Mexico and our state coach for this initiative, “Everyone deserves to run their race and cross their finish line. Movement is a right, not a privilege.”
Thank you for your support in making this a reality in Maryland!
Dankmeyer’s Sheryl N Sachs, MSPO, CPO is one of the national leaders in this initiative and is working hard in Maryland to promote legal action to accomplish these goals. A long time patient advocate, Sheryl has written more about advocacy efforts on our Advocacy page.