ACA's Parity Efforts Featured on Good Morning America

Amputee Coalition of America

 

On January 14th, Good Morning America featured a piece on prosthetic parity as part of their GMA Gets Answers series. This ongoing series is exploring the health care system in America, as well as other important consumer issues.

The segment, titled “Coverage Denied, Amputee Fights Back,” featured Susan Bailey, a wife and mother of two from Virginia, who took on Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield after they denied coverage for her prostheses.

On the same day, ABC News did a segment on Michael Stolzenberg, an 8-year-old boy who lost both hands and both feet due to a bacterial infection from a bug bite. "Bug Bite Leads to Amputation" mentioned that as a growing child, he will need new prostheses each year. They emphasized the fact that insurance companies do not always provide adequate coverage for prosthetic devices.

Two stories on one of the largest television networks on the same day really showcases the fact that prosthetic parity is not only a significant need in this country, but also a movement gaining real momentum.

We now have 11 states with prosthetic parity laws in place (CO, ME, NH, MA, CA, RI, OR, NJ, VT, IN and LA). These laws create a consistent standard of prosthetic coverage. The ACA is working with 19 states to push through bills in 2009 with another 10 looking to introduce legislation in future sessions.

A bipartisan bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate in September. 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 ACA is committed to tackling access to care head on through legislative remedies as well as playing a role in the larger debate around health care reform. With the recent attention being paid to these important issues and the continued commitment of our activists, we are confident that we will continue to succeed.

The Amputee Coalition of America (ACA) is involved in many exciting advocacy initiatives at both the state and federal level. To learn more about our Congressional efforts, contact the ACA at federal@amputee-coalition.org or 202/742-1886. For more information about our work to shape policies at the state level, we can be reached at state@amputee-coalition.org or 202/742-1885.