*This page is funded by the ACA and not supported with CDC grant funding.
Action Plan for People with Limb Loss
Let’s talk advocacy! The Amputee Coalition of America has assumed the challenge to address and improve the health and care of people living with the loss or absence of a limb and those at risk for primary amputations or secondary conditions, including additional amputations.
The Action Plan for People with Limb Loss (APPLL) is a far-reaching initiative and we encourage you to become involved.
The ACA is focusing on two main goals:
- Uniting patients, providers and manufacturers to identify ways to resolve access and coverage issues for prosthetics and care for all amputees in the U.S. One way to address insurance coverage issues is by promoting Insurance Parity at the State level.
| The ACA defines prosthetic parity as insurance companies covering appropriate prosthetic care. |
- Partnering with other health organizations to promote healthful lifestyles, which can prevent primary amputations and secondary conditions that can result in additional amputations.
To find out more about APPLL and state parity, please visit the ACA website at http://www.amputee-coalition.org/aca_advocacy_stateparity.html
Have you heard of the ACA State Parity Blog? The blog is an informal electronic discussion forum where state parity groups can get their message out and to communicate with other state parity groups.
Come visit the ACA State Parity Blog at http://acaparity.blogspot.com/
If you are working on parity in your state and would like to contact other state parity groups please contact Elizabeth Mansfield at elizabethmansfield@yahoo.com.
>> Click to view the APPLL Executive Summary [PDF]
For more information or to join the effort call 888/AMP-KNOW or contact nllicinfo@amputee-coalition.org!
Current partners include:
(listed in Alphabetical Order)
- American Academy for Orthotists and Prosthetists (AAOP)
- American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics (ABC)
- American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA)
- Board for Orthotist/Prosthetist Certification (BOC)
- College Park Industries
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Endolite North America
- Freedom Innovations
- Hanger
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School
of Public Health, Injury Research & Policy
- Liberating Technologies, Inc.
- National Commission on Orthotic & Prosthetic Education (NCOPE)
- Ohio Willow Wood
- Ossur North America
- Otto Bock Orthopedic Industries
- America Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Amputee Care Center
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Limb Loss Facts
- Approximately 1.6 million Americans live with limb loss/absence
- Over 185,000 amputations are performed each year in the U.S.
- Over 1,000 Americans are born each year with limb differences
- The No. 1 cause of traumatic amputations in children is lawn mower accidents
- The number of amputations is expected to rise
Diabetes and Amputation: An Emerging Public Health Crisis
- 20.8 million Americans live with diabetes
- Approximately 1/3 of these are undiagnosed
- More than 65% of amputations performed on people age 50+ are due to diabetes or peripheral vascular disease
- 85% of these are preventable
- 41 million Americans have pre-diabetes
- African Americans, Native Americans and Hispanic/Latino Americans have a very high incidence of diabetes
A Growing Threat to Coverage
- Funding for prosthetic training programs is decreasing
- Third-party payers are eliminating or restricting coverage
- Medicare reimbursement is frozen
- Coverage is likely to be further reduced without conclusive, objective research to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of appropriate healthcare and prosthetics
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