Background
On March 13, 2008, the Prosthetic Parity Act was introduced into the 110th Congress of the United States of America as House Resolution 5615. The bill was authored by Rep. Robert Andrews (D-NJ), with Reps. George Miller (D-CA), Todd Platts (R-PA), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), and Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) signing on as original cosponsors. The number of cosponsors more than quadrupled. On September 19, Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and Russell Feingold (D-WI) introduced the senate version of the federal prosthetic parity bill (S. 3517). Senators Bob Casey, Jr. (D-PA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) signed on as cosponsors.
Status
Rep. Andrews re-introduced the House version on May 21, 2009 along with Reps. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (FL-21), Al Green (TX-9), George Miller (CA-7), Todd Russell Platts (PA-19), and Joe Sestak (PA-7).
We are working with Sens. Harkin and Snowe to get the Senate version re-introduced.
How will the federal bill change the law?
Any health insurance plan covering prosthetic and custom-fabricated orthotic devices must offer coverage on par with health insurance coverage offered for medical and surgical services. The bill provides terms no less favorable than the terms and conditions applicable to the hospital and surgical benefits provided under the health plan. This creates a consistent standard of coverage for prosthetic devices, as well as coverage for orthotics used by people with complex, disabling orthopedic conditions.
Who currently provides coverage for prosthetic and custom-fabricated orthotic devices?
Prosthetic and orthotic devices are covered by insurance policies through the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, automobile insurance, Workers' Compensation insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), vocational rehabilitation agencies, and some private insurance packages. The problem is that a growing number of group and private insurance companies cap the benefit so low that the average working family can't afford a device. Other insurance companies are creating lifetime caps.
