SEBCM Mobility Day Weekend

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Photo courtesy of Matt Ryb Pictures for SEBCM.

The weekend of December 4th was a weekend to remember. The So Every BODY Can Move Mobility Day weekend was planned to celebrate the legislation that went into effect on January 1, 2025.

On that day, the So Every BODY Can Move legislation, which passed during the 2024 Maryland legislative session, went into effect. At Dankmeyer, we have seen first-hand the amazing impact of this legislation, which provides insurance coverage for our patients for receive an additional prosthesis for physical activity.* In celebration of this law going into effect earlier this year, Dankmeyer was proud to support and sponsor multiple community events as part of the So Every BODY Can Move Mobility Day weekend.

To kick things off, So Every BODY Can Move partnered with Ottobock to provide a continuing education course focused on the nuances of running prostheses. Around 50 healthcare providers in the Maryland and surrounding areas, including the majority of Dankmeyer’s clinical staff, were in attendance to learn about different components, alignment, fabrication, and fitting of running prostheses, providing them the knowledge to ensure that all patients receiving running prostheses will receive the most appropriate device for their needs. The event ended with a live patient demonstration, where attendees were able to witness a patient truly run for the first time since his amputation surgery 6 years prior!

With the continuation of spreading knowledge, So Every BODY Can Move partnered with the Adaptive Training Academy for an immersive adaptive training experience, where participants had the opportunity to train as if they were an individual with limb loss, limb difference, or with a mobility impairment. They then learned how to properly adapt exercises and use adaptive equipment, which can be used with patients in the clinic or gym settings as they work to improve their physical activity, whether with an activity-specific prosthesis or without.

Photo courtesy of Matt Ryb Pictures for SEBCM.

The final event of this amazing weekend was the official So Every BODY Can Move Mobility Day. Dankmeyer was proud to serve as a champion sponsor for this amazing event. Over 100 individuals, including volunteers and members of the limb loss/limb difference community, came together to celebrate and learn from each other. SEBCM National Leaders Nicole Ver Kuilen and Kyle Stepp flew in from the west coast to be at this event, and speakers also included the Assistant Secretary for the Maryland Department of Disabilities Kim McKay, and Delegate Ashanti Martinez, who was the primary bill sponsor for the So Every BODY Can Move house bill that expanded prosthetic coverage in the state.

Individuals had the opportunity to learn adaptive yoga with Yoga 4 Amputees (Y4A), learn how to play adaptive tennis with the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) and adaptive soccer with American Amputee Soccer Association (AASA), trial running under the supervision of skilled clinicians, including many Dankmeyer CPOs, and participate in adaptive functional/strength training with the Adaptive Training Academy (ATA). Peloton instructor and co-founder of ATA, Logan Aldridge, was in attendance and worked with all of the participants. (You can follow Logan on Instagram - click here.) It was an inspiring event, and Dankmeyer looks forward to continuing to supporting not just So Every BODY Can Move, but the community and patients they serve so that every body can move.

If you have a story to share, please let us know or reach out to sebcm.md@gmail.com.

This story was provided by Dankmeyer clinician Sheryl Sachs, CPO, who was instrumental in moving the legislation forward in Maryland. She currently serves as the State Lead for Maryland’s SEBCM initiative.

The photos in this article are courtesy of SEBCM (Matt Ryb Pictures) and Angie Bryl, CPO.

* It is important to note that only fully insured state insurance plans, state employee insurance plans, and Maryland Medicaid plans (all plans) are subject to state laws. If your insurance does not provide coverage under the new law, but you are interested in provision of an activity-specific prosthesis, please call Dankmeyer to set up a consultation with one of our practitioners to discuss potential coverage options.

So Every BODY Can Move Mobility Challenge

This past July, members of the Dankmeyer Team participated in the 2nd Annual 28 x28 Mobility Challenge, a national fundraiser in support of So Every BODY Can Move.  The challenge encouraged participants from around the country to be physically active for 28 minutes a day for the first 28 days in July. Participants set milage and fundraising goals, and encouraged their friends and family to support them through the challenge.

Over 1,300 individuals across the country joined the challenge and many of our team members joined the SEBCM Maryland Team! The Maryland group raised over $2000 during the month, and logged a whopping 348 miles over those 28 days! A special shoutout to the Dankmeyer staff leading the way in Maryland—Sheryl Sachs MSPO CPO, Jamie Dean, Helena Ringer CPO, Mark Hopkins MBA PT CPO, Jesse Yingling, Lukas Baner CTPO, and Rochelle Groves CPO. At the end of the challenge, over $166,000 was raised in support of this amazing work.

These funds will support efforts across the country, including those in Maryland, to ensure access to this medically necessary orthotic and prosthetic care. We have already seen so many lives changed by the implementation of our prosthetics legislation, which went into effect January 1st, 2025, and the team in Maryland is working hard to expand this coverage during the upcoming legislation session.  To get involved in these efforts, or to see if you now have coverage for activity-specific prostheses, please let your prosthetist know.

SAVE THE DATE

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SAVE THE DATE ***

Also, please SAVE THE DATE!  In celebration of the implementation of the So Every BODY Can Move legislation earlier this year, Dankmeyer will be supporting a So Every BODY Can Move Mobility Clinic weekend that will take place December 4-6, 2025. The events over the course of these three days are open to all members of the community, and we will be sure to share more details as the event gets closer. For more information regarding the Mobility Clinic weekend and for sponsorship opportunities, please reach out to: sebcm.md@gmail.com.

READY TO RUN!!!

Sheryl Sachs, MSPO, CPO Awarded for Advocacy

Sheryl Sachs, Dankmeyer CPO, was a prime mover in the effort to get the So EveryBody Can Move (SEBCM) legislation passed in Maryland. Sheryl was the State Lead Advocate for Maryland. SEBCM is a grassroots policy and advocacy initiative to create equitable and life-changing access to orthotic and prosthetic care necessary for physical activity for individuals with disabilities.

After months of hard work, dedication, and passion from countless advocates, partners, and legislative sponsors SB 614/HB 865 passed the Maryland legislature, and was signed into law by Governor Moore, This legislation will go into effect on January 1, 2025.

Dankmeyer’s Sheryl Sachs, CPO, has worked tirelessly to advocate for passage of the SEBCM legislation in Maryland. In September 2024, Sheryl received two awards to recognize her for her hard work. At the 2024 annual American Orthotics and Prosthetics Association (AOPA) National Assembly in Charlotte, North Carolina, Sheryl was recognized as Woman of the Year. Sheryl was nominated for the award by her peers in O&P, and was selected from four finalists to receive the award in the 2024 O&P Woman of the Year Ceremony.

Prior to the meeting, Sheryl was notified that she had been selected as one of the recipients of the AOPA Ralph R. “Ronney” Snell Legislative Advocacy Award. This honor is bestowed annually to recognize individuals who have made valuable contributions toward advancing the legislative and regulatory goals of the O&P field by motivating members of Congress and other decision makers to take action on behalf of O&P.

Several of Sheryl’s Dankmeyer colleagues were attending the Assembly and were there when she was presented with these awards. We are so proud of the work Sheryl has done that will serve to benefit all of those with limb loss and limb difference in Maryland.

Congratulations, Sheryl!

SEBCM Maryland Bill is signed into law!

So EveryBODY Can Move!

Insurance Coverage of Activity Specific Devices

Bill is passed and signed into law by Governor Moore.

Sheryl Sachs, Dankmeyer CPO and a prime mover in the effort to get the So EveryBody Can Move legislation passed in Maryland writes:

As the State Lead Advocate for So Every BODY Can Move - Maryland, I am thrilled to share a monumental achievement for our community and state. So Every BODY Can Move is a grassroots policy and advocacy initiative to create equitable and life-changing access to orthotic and prosthetic care necessary for physical activity for individuals with disabilities.

After months of hard work, dedication, and passion from countless advocates, partners, and legislative sponsors Senator Beidle, Senator Elfreth, and Delegate Martinez, I am pleased to share that SB 614/HB 865 have passed the Maryland legislature, have been signed into law by Governor Moore, and will go into effect on January 1, 2025.

Thanks to the unwavering support, advocacy, and collective effort of individuals and organizations like yours, our state has successfully passed legislation that mandates health insurance coverage for prosthetic devices specifically designed for physical activity, sport, and exercise. This legislative victory marks a significant step forward in dismantling healthcare inequities and reaffirms our belief that access to movement is a right, not a privilege.

What This Legislation Means:

This new law addresses a critical gap in our healthcare system for the limb loss and limb difference community. Historically, insurance did not cover prosthetic devices for physical activity, sports, and exercise. Although exercise and physical activity are viewed as an integral part of everyday life by the general public, insurance companies often consider a second, activity-specific prosthesis not medically necessary. Our successful legislative reform ensures that qualifying patient candidates are not denied the right to move, engage in sports, or exercise due to the lack of access to necessary prosthetics.

Next Steps

The legislation will go into effect on January 1, 2025 with the following key provisions:

• Commercial health insurance plans and state Medicaid are required to cover an additional prosthetic device for physical activity deemed medically necessary by a treating physician in a non-discriminatory manner.

• Coverage includes the assessment, fitting, all materials and components necessary to use the devices, repairs/replacements, and maintenance of these devices, ensuring that individuals receive comprehensive support.

• Insurers subject to the legislation must submit a report of claims data to the state’s insurance agency.

The So Every BODY Can Move legislation in Maryland impacts the following:

• Patient Age: all ages

• Insurance Plans Affected: state commercial plans, state employee plans, and Medicaid

• Devices Covered: activity-specific prostheses (when deemed medically necessary)

• Additional implementation communication will be developed in collaboration with healthcare providers, insurance companies, and advocacy groups to ensure smooth adoption and compliance.

How to Start Getting Access:

Starting on January 1, 2025, individuals with health insurance plans impacted by the legislation can start the following:

1. Review Patient Plan: After the bill goes into effect, beneficiaries are encouraged to review their health insurance plans and understand the new coverage options available.

2. Consult Healthcare Provider: Individuals requiring prosthetic devices for physical activity should consult their healthcare providers about their needs and support with the medical necessity authorization.

3. Partner with O&P Provider: Patients should collaborate with the O&P provider to determine which device will meet their need for physical activity and to start the claims process. Healthcare and O&P Providers will be instrumental in navigating the new coverage provisions.

4. Begin Claims and Reimbursement Process: After our state’s So Every BODY Can Move legislation goes into effect, O&P providers can begin the claims and reimbursement process. The claims and reimbursement process will remain the same as receiving a device for daily living.

5. Stay Informed: So Every BODY Can Move will continue to offer resources and support to healthcare providers and the community to ensure everyone can make the most of this legislative change.

Your Role Moving Forward:

As valued stakeholders in this initiative, your ongoing support and advocacy remain crucial. We encourage you to:

● Spread the word within your networks about this legislative win and the new coverage provisions.

● Engage with us in upcoming initiatives to monitor the implementation of the law and address any challenges that may arise.

● Continue championing the rights to health and movement in our community and beyond.

Stay connected with all things So Every BODY Can Move - https://soeverybodycanmove.org/

This victory is a testament to what we can achieve together. Let us continue to work together to ensure that every individual has the opportunity to move freely and live a full, active life.

Thank you for your unwavering support and dedication to this cause.

Warmest regards,

Sheryl N Sachs, MSPO, CPO

Lead Advocate

So Every BODY Can Move- Maryland

sebcm.md@gmail.com

Senator Pamela Beidle, John Edward Heath, Emerson Spekis, Steven McDonald, Wendy Spekis, Sheryl Sachs at Dankmeyer.

 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.