Chuck, I feel the same about AOTA doing any certification about w/c's also.
Laura W. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Chuck Willmarth" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 4:25 PM Subject: Re: [OTlist] ATP > Mary Alice, > > Our position is not that every OT fresh out of school can perform PMD > evaluations. OTs are required by state licensure laws and the Code of > Ethics to only provide those services for which they are competent. We > do not believe that RESNA certification should be required for payment > under Medicare. Such a policy would put us on a slippery slope. > Should Medicare require certification for payment when providing others > interventions such as wound care? PAMs? Should there be different > certifications for the various practice settings? > > We understand that CMS wants to ensure that they are paying for quality > services provided by competent therapists. We think that is a fine > goal. However we do not have information about the problem they are > trying to solve. If beneficiaries are getting the wrong chairs, is it > because of the OT or PT? Is the problem fraud? Is the problem > overutilization? We don't know. Would requiring RESNA certification > solve the problem? We don't think so, plus we believe that the > certification requirement will cause a whole new set of problems > including access to care. > > Chuck > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Mary Alice Cafiero > Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 3:43 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [OTlist] ATP > > I have to say more on this subject. Sorry if I'm boring some of you! > Unless things have changed dramatically in OT schools since I graduated, > OTs do not come out of school with knowledge of seating and positioning > or function-based wheelchair assessment. I have spoken with many > students on their internships in the past 7-8 years, and they report > that they still get the 1/2 to 1 day education on what a wheelchair is > but nothing more in depth than that. > > Do I think OTs are the best profession ultimately to be doing this type > of assessment? Absolutely! BUT, I don't think being an OT automatically > makes you qualified to be recommending complex rehab equipment and > advanced seating. > RESNA respects and requires hours of direct experience in the field > before you are even qualified to take the exam. Currently AOTA does not > have a way to acknowledge or recognize OTs that are specialists in this > field. How can AOTA expect CMS to turn to them for definitions and > qualifications of who should be performing this type of evaluation? > > I'm not just trying to be stubborn and disagreeable, but this is an area > that I feel passionate about. Recommending equipment that is > inappropriate for a client can cause harm. Recommending equipment that > will not accommodate a client's needs for the next 4-5 years can cause > the patient to be "stuck" because funding will not cover another > mobility device. > > Mary Alice > On Oct 30, 2007, at 2:01 PM, Chuck Willmarth wrote: > >> >> I'd like to address part of this discussion. There was no request >> from >> CMS to provide our qualifications to evaluate chairs prior to the LCD >> draft issuance. We LONG advocated for OTs to be specifically >> recognized as qualified to do this, starting with when CMS began the >> process of disseminating the National Coverage Decision, but CMS' >> response to us repeatedly (in writing and on calls) was that they were > >> going to leave the decision of who would be qualified to another >> process. They didn't identify the DMERC Medical Directors as the >> group tasked with determining who would be qualified until very late >> in the game, a few months before the draft LCD was issued. >> >> We commented on the draft LCD and subsequently requested >> reconsideration of comments. We had a conference call with the DMERC >> Medical Directors last week to make our case. We should know >> something by mid-November. >> >> Here are some articles that discuss the issue in more detail. >> >> http://www.aota.org/Archive/NewsA/FedReimbA/39756.aspx >> >> http://www.aota.org/News/AdvocacyNews/fedreim/39739.aspx >> >> http://www.aota.org/Practitioners/Reimb/News/Letters/40713.aspx >> >> http://www.aota.org/Practitioners/Reimb/News/Announcements/40727.aspx >> >> >> Chuck Willmarth >> Director, State Affairs and Reimbursement & Regulatory Affairs AOTA >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On >> Behalf Of Mary Alice Cafiero >> Sent: Sunday, October 28, 2007 11:35 AM >> To: [email protected] >> Subject: Re: [OTlist] ATP >> >> >> >> Medicare first looked to AOTA and APTA to ask what the standardized >> education and monitoring was for therapists who performed high end >> wheelchair evaluations. Neither organization had an answer, so >> Medicare >> expanded it's search to RESNA (Rehab Engineering Society of North >> America), some of the top manufacturers (Sunrise-who makes Quickie >> chairs, Invacare, Permobil, and Pride) to ask the same questions. The >> only credential available to show that a therapist has specific >> knowledge of assistive technology is the ATP exam through RESNA. There >> is also an ATS exam/credential for suppliers. RESNA requires that you >> have a certain number of hours in the AT field before you can take the >> exam and also requires continuing education applicable to the area in >> which you practice to keep your credential current. >> >> Medicare isn't going to require an ATP for every power eval. It is >> only >> for Group 2 chairs with a power function such as tilt or recline >> and any >> Group 3 chair. Group 3 is for more complex rehab and, in my opinion, >> should always require a therapist's evaluation. It is a good >> checks and >> balances system as well as a good way for clinicians and suppliers to >> collaborate. I personally think the therapist should be involved in >> the >> delivery of higher end equipment every time. >> >> So, after all that, my answer to your question is that, yes, it is a >> good idea to require the ATP. >> >> Mary Alice Cafiero, MSOTR, ATP >> >> >> On Oct 27, 2007, at 7:19 PM, Ron Carson wrote: >> >>> Hello All: >>> >>> Mary, your recent message and your credentials prompted to write this >>> message. >>> >>> Starting in 2008, Medicare will require the ATP credential for >>> certain >> >>> types of wheelchair evals. >>> >>> How do list members feel about this? Is an ATP credential necessary >>> to satisfactorily evaluate a patient for power mobility? >>> >>> Thanks, >>> >>> Ron >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Options? >>> www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com >>> >>> Archive? >>> www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] >>> >>> ********************************************************************* > >>> * >>> **************** >>> Enroll in Boston University's post-professional Master of Science for >>> OTs Online. Gain the skills and credentials to propel your career. >>> www.otdegree.com/otn >>> ********************************************************************* > >>> * >>> **************** >> >> >> -- >> Options? >> www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com >> >> Archive? >> www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] >> >> ********************************************************************** > >> ** >> ************** >> Enroll in Boston University's post-professional Master of Science for >> OTs Online. Gain the skills and credentials to propel your career. >> www.otdegree.com/otn >> ********************************************************************** > >> ** >> ************** >> >> -- >> Options? >> www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com >> >> Archive? >> www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] >> >> ********************************************************************** > >> **************** >> Enroll in Boston University's post-professional Master of Science >> for OTs Online. Gain the skills and credentials to propel your career. >> www.otdegree.com/otn >> ********************************************************************** > >> **************** > > > -- > Options? > www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com > > Archive? > www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > ************************************************************************ > ************** > Enroll in Boston University's post-professional Master of Science for > OTs Online. Gain the skills and credentials to propel your career. > www.otdegree.com/otn > ************************************************************************ > ************** > > -- > Options? > www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com > > Archive? > www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > ************************************************************************************** > Enroll in Boston University's post-professional Master of Science for OTs > Online. Gain the skills and credentials to propel your career. > www.otdegree.com/otn > ************************************************************************************** > -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] ************************************************************************************** Enroll in Boston University's post-professional Master of Science for OTs Online. Gain the skills and credentials to propel your career. www.otdegree.com/otn **************************************************************************************
