Earlier this spring semester, many Century College Orthotic and Prosthetic (O&P) students and faculty attended a rally at the Minnesota State Capitol. The rally promoted the passing of a new, bipartisan legislature that would make both prosthetic and orthotic devices more accessible to those who need them. Currently, amputees and those in need of orthotics in Minnesota face discrimination at the hands of insurance companies who don’t want to cover new or additional, activity-specific devices, such as a running blade or a shower prosthesis. These bills, House bill 3339 and Senate bill 3351, would change insurance policies in the state to make sure patients are receiving fair access to life changing devices.
The rally, in total, accumulated a gathering of 125 people, a number of which were Century O&P students.
“Many of the speakers shared personal stories about challenges they have faced living with disabilities and accessing necessary prosthetics and orthotics,” Amelia Arneson, an O&P Century student who attended the rally, said about the event. “Several speakers discussed feelings of frustration, sadness, and limitations due to lack of insurance coverage or access to devices that could help them be more active, independent, and participate fully in activities. However, many also expressed hope that the proposed legislation could help improve access and allow people to live more fulfilling lives without barriers. Advocates were committed to continuing to share their experiences and advocate for change through letters, meetings, and rallies to help pass this important bill.”
April is “Limb Loss Awareness and Limb Difference Month”. This has taken place in MN for several years now. Governor Tim Walz has personally presented and read the Proclamation. The latest being at the rally at the Capital this March.
The personal stories that were told by those who spoke at the event, as relayed by Arneson, all carried the one major theme: fair access to prosthetic and orthotic devices can and would significantly improve the lives of those with disabilities living in Minnesota who need these devices.
Tony Fruci, the President of the Minnesota Society of Orthotists, Prosthetists, and Pedorthists (MSOPP), faculty at Century’s O&P program, and a certified prosthetist himself, gave a good example of discrimination that amputees, in specific, face. “If I wore out my knee and wanted to have a knee replacement, it’s pretty easy for me to have a knee replacement so that I can go play pickleball,” Fruci said. “But, for an amputee, they cannot get an activity specific prosthesis so they can go play pickleball.” This discrimination greatly impacts the independence and quality of life for amputees. This type of hurdle (or roadblock) greatly impacts the independence and quality of life for amputees and those who wear orthotic devices. Even getting a prosthesis to be able to shower easier and independently is difficult to completely impossible.
Unfortunately, this issue is not Minnesota specific, which has meant that other states before Minnesota and currently, alongside Minnesota, have passed or are trying to pass similar bills. Fruci shared that this movement started in Maine when a child amputee could not get a running blade and a physical therapist stepped up to change the laws. She was successful, inspiring other states to follow her lead. Now Arkansas, New Mexico, and Colorado have enacted legislation, bringing the total to 4 states. 5 more states, including Minnesota, have had legislation introduced.
Fruci shared a little about the progress that the bills have so far made. There were several hearings in the Senate, all of which passed, as well as a fiscal study that found the cost of implementing these bills would be around 1 to 39 cents per person each month. The bills also have the support of the Governor.
The biggest difficulty proponents of these bills face is the question of if there is enough money left over for the bills this year. They are also being passed as omnibus bills, meaning they are combined into a group of bills that would be passed as a whole. Fruci said that an additional fiscal study will be done by the state by April 19, 2024, after which the two fiscal studies will be compared. There has been significant progress made towards passing this legislature, and with the voices speaking out in favor of the bills, there is much hope that they will be passed.
At Century College specifically, Orthotics and Prosthetics students are actively standing up for the bill themselves, showing the importance and the significance of the program at the College. In addition to teaching students to construct prosthetics and orthotics, the O&P program promotes learning, compassion, and informs students of the challenges that disabled people face in a world that is too often unaccommodating.
Those looking to support the bills themselves, can go to the MSOPP website, www.msopp-mn.com, where there is a link to a page dedicated to contacting local legislators. The page makes it easy to contact legislators by automatically showing which legislator to contact for each individual person’s area and also provides a preformatted email that can be edited to be personal to each individual. Backing these bills helps ensure that disabled people in Minnesota in need of a prosthesis or orthotic can get the care and devices that they need and deserve.
