The end of the year brought major policy improvements and new challenges for O&P practitioners, clinics and patients as CMS made significant announcements. New and Expanded Knee Orthoses Coverage :  The DME MAC Medical Directors recently announced a new Local Coverage Determination (LCD L33318) expanding coverage of knee orthoses for Medicare beneficiaries with osteoarthritis, a condition not recognized for Medicare coverage for many years.  The proposed LCD was issued this p

Join NAAOP President Nate Kapa, CP, General Counsel Peter Thomas, and Powers Principal Leela Baggett for a detailed explanation of CMS's recent Final Regulation that will renew and expand Medicare Competitive Bidding for OTS back, knee, and upper extremity orthotics. Topics will include major alterations to the existing competitive bidding program, a new system for Remote Item Delivery, the methodology for determining competitively bid reimbursement levels, implications for M

As of December 1, 2025, NAAOP is accepting applications for its annual George and Dena Breece Health Policy and Advocacy Fellowship. NAAOP is a national nonprofit association advocating for consumers/patients requiring orthotic and prosthetic care, as well as the providers who serve them.  The NAAOP Breece Fellowship is a paid, 9-week summer program based in Washington, D.C.  One Fellow will be competitively selected for the 2026 term.    The Fellow will learn about orthotic

The National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics (“NAAOP”), commends the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) for announcing today the expansion of Medicare and Medicaid coverage for anti-obesity medications to treat obesity itself, effective in January 2026. Due to the significant impact that obesity and related chronic conditions such as diabetes and cardio-vascular disease h