Advocacy Matters - A Quarterly Publication of the Amputee Coalition of America

Arms and legs are not luxury items, yet every month we hear from people who are having trouble getting the prosthetic care they need due to unfair, shortsighted insurance regulations. The financial support of this effort will give voice to our commitment to ensure fair treatment for all people with limb loss. We are working hard to ensure that all amputees are able to reach their full potential. We hope we can count on you for your support. Click here to make a donation today.

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Healthcare professionals

Assistive devices such as prosthetics are no less important than antibiotics are to a person with an infection or open-heart surgery is to a person with coronary artery disease. The ACA is working hard to ensure that all insurance plans offered under the healthcare reform efforts provide coverage of assistive devices (e.g., prosthetics, orthotics, wheelchairs).

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Girl holding sign that says "Parity Works" Thanks to the hard work of our activists, we had another incredibly successful year! In 2009, we were able to introduce and pass prosthetic parity legislation in a record seven states.

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It is essential that the needs of people with limb loss be considered as healthcare proposals are developed to ensure that they are able to lead independent, productive lives. The ACA and its allies are working to ensure that healthcare reform will eliminate the disability-based health disparities faced by the more than 54 million Americans with disabilities, including people with limb loss.

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Support the Prosthetic & Orthotic Parity Act The ACA's Advocacy Department has been working diligently with activists throughout the country to get them involved in the federal efforts. The Prosthetic and Custom Orthotic Parity Act of 2009 (HR 2575) was re-introduced in the House of Representatives in May of this year. We have been working closely with Sen. Snowe's office to ensure that the bill will be re-introduced in the Senate.

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Magnifying glass on books The ACA supports comparative effectiveness research as an important tool in helping patients and providers distinguish between the effectiveness of treatment and service options. We are working with partners to ensure that current efforts to advance research will meet the needs of people with disabilities and avoid inappropriate access restrictions on beneficial care.

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Otto Bock Healthcare logo The Amputee Coalition is grateful to Otto Bock HealthCare for a recent gift of $15,000 to support our parity efforts for fair and consistent insurance coverage for artificial limbs and custom-made orthotic devices.

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Family-to-Family Health Information Centers (F2F-HICs) assist families in securing and financing healthcare for their special needs children. Their funding runs out at the end of this year.

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The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act extends federal protections granted under the 1968 hate crimes law to cover those physically attacked because of disability. The ACA endorsed this important legislation, recognizing that bias against people with disabilities takes many forms, including violence.

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Last year, the Amputee Coalition launched an Advocacy Committee comprised of board members and key activists. This elite group of ACA leaders is charged with helping to set the overall direction of the ACA's advocacy efforts. Members provide strategic oversight to the ACA’s advocacy department. The committee also works on developing position statements and lending their expertise and support to specific priority initiatives.

The Amputee Coalition of America has a proud history of advocating on behalf of people with limb loss. While our advocacy department is still fairly new, we have already had a profound impact on the lives and health of the amputee community. We are excited to continue this progress with the assistance of the committee.

2009 ACA Advocacy Committee

Dr. Jeffrey Cain
Morgan Sheets
Dave McGill
Tim Moran
Marifran Mattson
Jeff Lutz
Mona Patel
Marshall Cohen
Dr. Terry Sheehan
Aaron Holm

*This page is funded by the ACA and is not supported with CDC grant funding. Views expressed in the contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the ACA.