Historic Bipartisan Bill Introduced in U.S. Senate Requires Meaningful Health Insurance Coverage for Amputees
Amputee Coalition of America Supports the "Group Health Plan Prosthetics Parity Act of 2008" Introduced by Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Washington, DC, September 19, 2008—A historic bipartisan bill was introduced today in the U.S. Senate that would require health insurance companies to provide meaningful coverage for prosthetic care. The bipartisan bill, S. 3517 the "Prosthetics Parity Act of 2008," is co-sponsored by Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Russell Feingold (D-WI) and supported by the Amputee Coalition of America. The bill is designed to ensure that amputees covered by employer-paid health insurance are able to access the prosthetic care they need to lead full and independent lives.
With the introduction of the Senate bill, both houses of Congress are now considering legislation requiring that insurance companies provide meaningful coverage of prosthetic care. “The Prosthetic Parity Act of 2008” was introduced in March into the U.S. House of Representatives. The bills require insurance companies to cover prosthetic care as they do all essential medical care, hence the phrase “prosthetic parity.”
The House bill was also introduced with bipartisan support. It was authored by Representative Rob Andrews (D-NJ 1st CD). Representatives George Miller (D-CA 7th CD), Todd Platts (R-PA 19th CD), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL 25th CD), and Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL 21st CD) signed on as original co-sponsors. The number of House sponsors has more than quadrupled with strong and growing support on both sides of the aisle.
“The legislation which we are introducing today – the Prosthetics Parity Act of 2008 – will ensure that group health plans treat coverage of such prosthetic devices on par with other essential medical care covered by health insurance. It does not mandate coverage, but it does assure than when it is offered, it is not so restricted or capped that it does not assure an amputee of the prosthetic they require,” said Senator Snowe.
“Individuals with employer-paid health insurance deserve meaningful coverage for prosthetic care. Our Senators and Representatives are increasingly aware of the extent to which health insurers deny their enrollees meaningful coverage for prosthetic care, thus denying them the artificial limbs they need to live full lives,” said Kendra Calhoun, President and CEO of the Amputee Coalition of America.
She explained that many health insurance companies cap their prosthetic care benefits too low for the average person to obtain a prosthesis, and they often impose lifetime caps or eliminate coverage completely. Some insurance companies provide coverage for only one prosthesis per lifetime. On average, an adult amputee will need a replacement every five years, and children even more frequently as they grow.
“Not only will this legislation save money in the public and private sectors,” said Ms. Calhoun, “but it will cover the many people who have never thought to ask if their insurance adequately covers limb loss.”
The Amputee Coalition of America has collected and analyzed data demonstrating that health insurance parity laws would have a minimal cost impact--only about 25 cents more per month on insurance premiums.
“Parity legislation would save the federal government and taxpayers money by preventing cost shifting for prosthetic care from the health insurance companies to government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid,” said Ms. Calhoun.
“This bill will return people to work and help them reclaim their lives at no cost to taxpayers,” she added.
“This proposed legislation ‘The Prosthetic Parity Act of 2008’ will put prosthetic devices where they belong – on par with other essential medical care covered by health insurance. It is parity, it is equity, and it is the right thing to do for amputees. We enthusiastically commend Senator Snowe and Senator Harkin for their leadership on this important issue,” Calhoun said.
There are nearly two million individuals living with limb differences or loss in the United States, including 70,000 under the age of 18. On average, each year 155,000 people in the United States lose a limb.
“The impact of severely-restricted prosthetic coverage can be devastating,” said Senator Snowe.
“This is even more so for the estimated 70,000 amputees under the age of 18. Sadly, we see those children particularly affected as their growth increases the frequency with which a prosthetic requires replacement. That can quickly exceed a parent’s ability to meet co-payment requirements – a coverage cap may deny access to a replacement prosthetic,” added the Senator.
The importance of meaningful insurance coverage for amputees is also the focus of legislation at the state level. Eleven states have enacted prosthetic parity laws, and legislation is being advanced in more than 30 states, according to Ms. Calhoun.
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Click here to learn more and stay up to date. Check out Snowe's floor speech and the press release from her office.