ROSWELL Ga. (August 8, 2017)—The drastic increase in the percentage of claims being denied by Medicare has been attributed as the reason why many providers have decided to get out of the foot health care segment completely. This has resulted in many patients having to look elsewhere for help in finding suitable orthopedic footwear. Occupational and physical therapists are those closest to the patient on a regular basis.
Pedors Shoes, an Atlanta, Georgia-based manufacturer of orthopedic footwear that specializes in the geriatric market, believes it is physical and occupational therapists that are best positioned to help patients in need of suitable footwear.
“We’ve witnessed a dramatic decline in the number of foot care professionals over the past ten years,” stated Stephen O’Hare, the vendor/manufacturer representative to the Board of Directors for the Pedorthic Footcare Association, 2007–2011. “The bitter irony is that many of those professionals most qualified to fit footwear have been squeezed out of the marketplace. The providers operating in a pedorthic retail setting that did manage to survive the taxing Medicare audits have also had to contend with the recession and the emergence of e-commerce.”
This was, in reality, a triple whammy for the pedorthic profession in particular. Many DPMs and O&P practices have cited Medicare’s onerous and burdensome documentation requirements as too stringent to risk a claim denial and have also opted out.
Pedors decided recently to introduce a Geriatric Footwear Program to help PTs and OTs help their patients. The program provides the therapist with a discount code they can share with the patient to help offset the cost of footwear for those with a disability or on a fixed income who may be in need of appropriate therapeutic orthopedic footwear.
“The objective of the program is to keep the cost of orthopedic footwear on par with what a patient might expect to pay for a pair of sneakers. By including the cost of shipping and exchange or return shipping—should it be necessary—we hope to eliminate the burden on the therapist with regards to the order fulfillment process; we manage the patient payment directly,” O’Hare explained.
Visit pedors.com for more information.
