In a significant move to enhance the quality of life for individuals who use prosthetic knees, the Medical Directors of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Durable Medical Equipment Medicare Administrative Contractor have announced a major...
Efforts to Pass So Every BODY Can Move Legislation in New Jersey
Although the first introduction of New Jersey’s So Every BODY Can Move bill (S-1439 / A-3856) fell short in the last legislative session, it was reintroduced in January 2024. The bill passed the Senate on January 8 but did not get out of committee in the Assembly....
Tips for Right-Sizing Your Prosthesis Cost
Reprinted with permission from Amplitude Magazine Your prosthetist has every right to fair compensation for his/her time, effort, and expertise. And you, the patient, have every right to a prosthetic solution that a) you can afford, and b) equips you for a healthy,...
Amputee Coalition Advocates for Inclusive Census Disability Assessment Questions
(Washington, DC, February 28, 2024) As representatives and advocates for the limb loss and limb difference (LLLD) community, the Amputee Coalition issued a formal request urging the U.S. Census Bureau to reconsider its proposed transition from the current disability...
Demystifying Policies & Jargon: Kate Ketelhohn’s Enlightening Experience as a Breece Fellow
By Jewel Connelly, Communications Specialist Kate Ketelhohn had no intention of becoming a disability rights lawyer when she accepted the 2023 George and Dena Breece Fellowship, and after a summer in Washington D.C. she still isn’t a policy expert. However, she is a...
NAAOP’s Breece Fellowship: Jump-Starting a Career in Disability Advocacy and Politics
By Lucas DeLuca, Director of Support Services/2022 Breece Fellow I thought I had it all, having just finished my Masters in Disability Studies, and working in higher education supporting students with disabilities, I was making a difference. It might not have been the...
Can Special Effects and Prosthetics Come Together? A Conversation About Realism in Prosthetics
By Jewel Connelly, Communications Specialist The process of prothesis fabrication is very personal for everyone with preferences varying widely from one person to another. While some are content with the mechanical/robotic look of a prosthetic device, others opt for...
Hear From Past NAAOP Fellows and Apply for Summer Opportunity!
As a person living with limb loss or limb difference do you feel passionate about advocating for yourself and your community? Does learning about orthotic & prosthetic (O&P) policy and advocacy at the federal level in the heart of our nation’s capital excite...
Time is Running Out to Take the So Every BODY Can Move Survey!
There’s only 8 weeks left to participate in our So Every BODY Can Move research survey. The survey will collect information about your participation in adaptive sports and physical activities as well as details about the use of any prosthetic or orthotic devices that...
Research Proves That Microprocessor Knees Improve Safety, and Now Medicare Agrees!
On Thursday, January 18, 2023, Medicare announced that the proposed changes to the Local Coverage Determination (LCD) for Lower Limb Prosthetics would cover microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knees (MPKs) and expand coverage for certain prosthetic feet for individuals with transfemoral (above-the-knee) limb loss/limb difference who are limited community ambulators (K-level 2) and meet certain medical criteria.