Ron, Don't worry, after years of membership on your list, I have a thick skin. :)
Re: AOTA Activities AOTA is a large organization, so I can't report on everything that AOTA does for members. A good resource for this is the monthly management report. Here is a link to the June 2009 report: http://www.aota.org/Governance/BOD/mgmtrpts/2009-Management/June-Mgmt-Re port-.aspx (login required) Re: Medicare contractors The item I posted is an example of an accomplishment of our advocacy work. I think that it does take the resources of a national association to comprehensively monitor and comment on Local Coverage Determinations. Each day an attorney in our office reviews the list of draft LCDs from the contractors to see there a changes being proposed to LCDs that would impact OT. At the same time we look for opportunities to improve LCDs. n the Florida example, we worked with an AOTA member in Florida to craft case studies for our LCD reconsideration request. Here is a link to the letter. http://www.aota.org/Practitioners/Reimb/Pay/Medicare/LCDs/LCDComments/Ll cdCFL29288.aspx. I think that having this code available to OTs will benefit Medicare beneficiaries. We do encourage members to monitor LCDs and advocate with contractors, so I applaud your efforts. We've created a resource to help members with advocacy efforts like this, see: http://www.aota.org/Practitioners/Reimb/Pay/Medicare/LCDs/Resources/4082 7.aspx Re: Home health I know that our federal lobbyists have been busy working to get language included in the House healthcare reform legislation to address the home health issue. Have you considered attending AOTA's Hill day to lobby your member of Congress? This year's event will be held October 5. See: http://vocusgr.vocus.com/GRSPACE2/WebPublish/Controller.aspx?SiteName=AO TA&Definition=ViewIssue&IssueID=6336. Individual members do have the ability to raise their concerns through the Representative Assembly. Many projects/issues that we've addressed over the years have come through member motions to the RA, for example AOTA's policy on "direct access" to Medicare; that was a motion from a member. For information about the RA and the motion process, see: http://www.aota.org/Governance/RA.aspx. Chuck -----Original Message----- From: otlist-boun...@otnow.com [mailto:otlist-boun...@otnow.com] On Behalf Of Ron Carson Sent: Thursday, August 20, 2009 7:36 PM To: Chuck Willmarth Subject: Re: [OTlist] Renew AOTA or NOT?????? 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 <cwillma...@aota.org> Sent: Thursday, August 20, 2009 To: OTlist@OTnow.com <OTlist@OTnow.com> 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) CW> and 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 AOTA CW> -----Original Message----- CW> From: otlist-boun...@otnow.com [mailto:otlist-boun...@otnow.com] 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 CW> years since graduating. But, I am really struggling to justify CW> sending them $225.00 this year. I'm mean what do I personally CW> get out of that money? I haven't supported much of what they've CW> done. I don't think they are leading our profession down the CW> correct path. I think they are hung up on doing what THEY want CW> rather than what's best for the 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/otlist@otnow.com CW> -- CW> Options? CW> www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com CW> Archive? CW> www.mail-archive.com/otlist@otnow.com -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/otlist@otnow.com -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/otlist@otnow.com
