Follow-up to Ohio Parity Meeting on Oct. 6th, 2005

To recap, here are some of the highlights discussed as well as tasks that were identified during the October 6, 2005 Ohio Parity Meeting.

The group agreed that:

• Message to legislators will be better heard if given by those most directly affected, i.e., those with limb loss
• Message to legislators need to be consistent (develop a set of talking points)
• Each facility needs to begin educating
• Patients on potential for loss/capping of insurance coverage
• Each facility needs to begin identifying patients who are or have experienced problems with insurance coverage
• Work can begin immediately to formulate message and begin to educate
• Fund-raising can begin immediately for activities related to the parity initiative
• The committee (i.e.) those present will serve as the Committee to discuss and lead initiative in partnership with amputees and amputee groups
• There is a need for research regarding potential impact of loss of jobs by amputees (i.e., actual numbers)
• Hiring a lobbyist at some point will assist greatly, but there is much work that can be accomplished by the Committee and others before it is necessaryto retain a lobbyist
  
  Action:
  
  Draft language
  Ron Kidd, Joe Antorietto and Ted Ryder volunteered to draft language based on the Colorado, Maine and New Hampshire language.They will draft within the next two weeks and distribute to the Committee for input and discussion
  
• Brochure and Letter
  Bob Leimkuehler and Sam Santa Rita will develop language for a brochure and letter for facility offices to educate patients on urgency of insurance coverage
  No firm time line was set for this segment.
  (message to patients, do you know what your insurance covers? Patients may have coverage in the past and not know that it has changed.
  
  Dianne Farabi
  Ohio O & P Offices
  (614) 659-0197
  
  Following is a list of the attendees:
  
  Mark Bondurant (Buckeye Orthopedic Design)
  Ted Ryder (Hanger)
  Joe Antorietto (OrPro)
  Pat Lott
  Bill Neu (Capital P & O Center)
  Sam Santa-Rita (SRT P & O)
  Ron Kidd (American Orthopedic)
  Dave Nelson (Hanger)
  Kathy Simmons (Clark O & P)
  David Kozersky (Capital P & O Center)
  Richard Rosenberg (RJ Rosenberg Ortho Lab)
  Joseph Nye (Ohio Orthopedic Services)
  Teresa Bryant (TriState Amputee Support Group)
  Bob Leimkuehler (Leimkuehler, Inc.)
  Rosie Leimkuehler (Leimkuehler, Inc.)
  Dianne Farabi (Ohio O & P Assn)
  

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