Prior authorization (PA) helps Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) suppliers ensure that Medicare coverage, payment, and coding rules are met before DMEPOS items are delivered. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule on December 30, 2015, that would establish prior authorization for DMEPOS items. The ruling was made to safeguard Medicare patients against having to pay the costs for items not eligible for Medicare coverage. PA was initially rolled out for Power Mobility Devices in 2016. It would not be until 2020 before lower limb prosthetic devices joined the program.

Ordering, storing, and returning orthotic and prosthetic (O&P) devices can be a challenge under normal circumstances, but during a period strained by a global pandemic and a tumultuous supply chain, these inventory management processes were particularly demanding. To capture this moment in time and share interesting findings with the O&P community, we ran a survey. The aim was to learn how professionals in the industry managed inventory during these atypical years and how those processes may have evolved.

Hanger Institute recently published the results of Stability and Falls Evaluation after AMPutation (SAFE-AMP), which focused on microprocessor-controlled knee technology for diabetic and dysvascular patients with above-knee amputations. The study was published in Assisted Technology Journal, and was conducted by members of Hanger Clinic’s Clinical and Scientific Affairs Department: Shane Wurdeman, PhD, CP, FAAOP(D); Taavy Miller, PhD, CPO; Phillip Stevens, MEd, CPO, FAAOP; and James Campbell, PhD.

Microprocessor knees (MPKs) provide a perfect balance of situational stability and agility for patients. Imagine an old parking lot that slopes and is cluttered with potholes and speed bumps. The simple task of walking to a car across this ramshackle lot can be physically and mentally demanding for users of mechanical knees. Concentration is required for calculating the safest route to take and precise movement is needed to carefully maneuver over obstacles.

A study conducted by Hanger’s Outcomes, ASsessment and DISsemination (OASIS) series exploring the effectiveness of a variety of orthotic and prosthetic components across different patient groups has been published in the Journal of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Engineering (RATE). The study was conducted by James Campbell, PhD, Phillip Stevens, MEd., and Shane Wurdeman, PhD.

A study conducted by Hanger’s IMPACT series exploring the impact of receipt of a prosthesis on overall healthcare utilization has been published in PM&R, the Journal of Injury, Function and Rehabilitation. The study was conducted by Shane Wurdeman, PhD, CP, FAAOP (D), and Taavy Miller, PhD, CPO, members of Hanger Clinic’s Clinical and Scientific Affairs Department, along with researchers from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Department of Health.

A study conducted by Hanger’s IMPACT series has been published in the American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. The study was conducted by Shane Wurdeman and Taavy Miller, members of Hanger Clinic’s Clinical and Scientific Affairs Department, along with researchers from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Department of Health.