Washington, DC, April 25, 2008 ---The Amputee Coalition of America is launching a coast to coast “Week of Action” to build support for a proposed federal law that would lift restrictions imposed by the health insurance industry on coverage of prosthetic care. The Prosthetic Parity Act of 2008, recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, requires insurances companies to cover prosthetic care as they do all essential medical care.

From Saturday, April 26 through Friday, May 2, amputees, providers of prosthetic care and other supporters, are organizing events across the country to raise awareness and build support for the proposed federal prosthetic parity law.

“This initiative is part of a national campaign to make health insurers understand the wide public support for laws requiring them to provide meaningful coverage for prosthetic devices,” said Paddy Rossbach, CEO of the Amputee Coalition of America.

The Week of Action unites amputees, health care providers and other allies in an effort to advance the Prosthetic Parity Act of 2008 (HR 5615). Authored by Representative Rob Andrews (D-NJ), HR 5615 provides insurance parity under employer-paid and group health insurance coverage for prosthetic devices and components. Representatives George Miller (D-CA), Todd Platts (R-PA), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), and Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) signed on as original co-sponsors.

"Right now, many amputees are being denied by their health insurers, access to artificial limbs that they need to lead active and independent lives,” said Ms. Rossbach of the Amputee Coalition.

She explained that many health insurance companies cap prosthetic care benefits too low for the average person to obtain a prosthesis, and they often impose lifetime caps or eliminate coverage completely.

"Americans with health insurance should be covered for the costs of care for catastrophic illness or injury," said Morgan Sheets, national advocacy director of the Amputee Coalition, “and that insurance coverage must include meaningful prosthetic care for individuals suffering limb loss.”

Ten states have passed prosthetic parity insurance laws, and 30 other states are working to advance such legislation with the support of the Amputee Coalition. Research shows that prosthetic parity adds less than 25 cents per month to insurance premiums.

“For the Amputee Coalition’s Week of Action, activists are organizing post card drives and lobby meetings in their Congressman’s district offices. They are holding rallies and organizing bake sales to demonstrate how amputees with health insurance often must demean themselves by holding fundraisers to pay for their artificial limbs, because their insurance benefits are unrealistically low,” said Ms. Sheets.

"The federal prosthetic parity bill will ensure that the tragedy of children living with the absence of limbs is not compounded by inadequate insurance benefits forcing them to spend the rest of their childhood in wheelchairs when help is readily available," she said.

The Amputee Coalition of America, based in Knoxville, Tennessee, is a national, non-profit consumer educational organization that empowers people who have experienced amputation or are born with limb differences through education, support and advocacy. For information on becoming a member or making a donation to the Amputee Coalition of America, please visit the ACA website at http://www.amputee-coalition.org, or call 1-888-267-5669. A national 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the Amputee Coalition of America relies on grants and private support for its programs. Donations to the Amputee Coalition of America are tax deductible to the extent permissible by law.