Chuck, you know that I highly value your membership and input on this list, so please don't take offense to this. In all honesty, it does NOT take a national organization to "lobby" Medicare contractors for change. I have PERSONALLY done the same thing, by simply send the right person at FCSO an e-mail. I don't want to take away from AOTA's "success" but that doesn't really seem like a significant accomplish.
Now, if AOTA can get OT as a qualifying home health service, that will be something. Although, it won't make much difference in my HH company because like I previously said, there are 4x more PT's than OT's. Go figure. Also, the new "branding campaign" is just about enough to send me over the edge. I was VERY active on AOTA's "OT Connection" forums about how the brand misses the mark. It kept being reiterated that AOTA had done "research" on the brand, but no research was made available on the forum. So, I don't know. It just seems like AOTA is out of step with what I perceive as the greatest needs of the OT community. And, I really feel like I have NO voice. I remember that all the negative comments about the brand, drew some negative comments from the President. I understand that when you volunteer for a position, you certainly don't want to read a bunch of complaining from a member. But, what I want to say is negative. So, I don't really know what to do.... Ron ----- Original Message ----- From: Chuck Willmarth <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, August 20, 2009 To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subj: [OTlist] Renew AOTA or NOT?????? CW> Ron, CW> I do hope that you choose to renew your AOTA membership. Your dues CW> help provide the resources we need to advocate on behalf of the CW> profession. I know that you don't agree with everything the CW> Association has done. I think it is important that leadership hears CW> from members from different perspectives; your voice does count. CW> I believe that the the national Association does make a difference. CW> Actually just the other day we lobbied the Medicare Contractors in CW> Florida (First Coast) to cover the assistive technology code (97755) and CW> they agreed. See: CW> http://occupational-therapy.advanceweb.com/Article/FL-Contractor-Restore CW> s-Code.aspx. CW> I hope you renew and that we see each other in Orlando. CW> Chuck Willmarth CW> Director, State Affairs and Reimbursement and Regulatory Policy CW> AOTA CW> -----Original Message----- CW> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On CW> Behalf Of Ron Carson CW> Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 8:23 PM CW> To: OTlist CW> Subject: [OTlist] Renew AOTA or NOT?????? CW> That is the question. I've supported AOTA for most of the years CW> since graduating. But, I am really struggling to justify sending them CW> $225.00 this year. I'm mean what do I personally get out of that CW> money? I haven't supported much of what they've done. I don't think CW> they are leading our profession down the correct path. I think they CW> are hung up on doing what THEY want rather than what's best for the CW> profession. CW> About the only good thing I guess is that I can go to the 2010 CW> Orlando, FL national conference for a reduced rate. <LOL>. CW> I'm looking for what others say about paying dues to AOTA. CW> Thanks, CW> Ron CW> ~~~ CW> Ron Carson MHS, OT CW> www.OTnow.com CW> -- CW> Options? CW> www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com CW> Archive? CW> www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] CW> -- CW> Options? CW> www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com CW> Archive? CW> www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
