Bill > S3977

This bill, the Medicare Orthotics and Prosthetics Patient-Centered Care Act, aims to protect Medicare beneficiaries with limb loss and other orthopedic conditions by improving access to appropriate, safe, and effective orthotic and prosthetic care. It prohibits payment for certain items, such as prostheses and custom-fabricated or custom-fitted orthotics, that are delivered through "drop shipments" without the involvement of qualified practitioners. The bill also exempts additional practitioners, such as physical therapists and orthotists, from competitive bidding requirements to ensure beneficiary access to these services. Additionally, it updates the definitions of "orthotics and prosthetics" and "orthoses and prostheses" in the Social Security Act. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is required to issue regulations to implement the amendments made by this bill within one year of its enactment.