Certification/Accreditation Updates will be listed on this page by title.  The most recent update will appear at the top of the list.

• Alabama O&P Professionals now have State Licensure. Alabama joins, Florida,Texas,Washington,Illinois and Ohio in enacting licensure regulation. (May 2002)

• ABC Offers Continuing Education Tracking for ALL O&P Practitioners. If your state requires licensure you will have to report your Continuing Education credits...ABC can help!(March 2002)

• The application deadline for the Fall/Winter practitioner certification exams is September 1st. Applications may be downloaded from this website, or may be requested from ABC at 703-836-7114, ext. 229.

• NRM (Negotiated Rule Making). The Benefit Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 provides for the creation of a consensus rule-making process to determine Medicare qualifications for orthotic and prosthetic reimbursement. The ABC, Academy, AOPA, NCOPE, NAAOP and others have been named to the committee from which these criteria will be promulgated. The proposed rules for the consensus negotiations were published in the Federal Register on March 19, 2002. The commentary period expired in April, 2002. Although no firm dates have been established, it is believed that the first meeting of the consensus group will occur in September, 2002. The principal issue to be resolved will be the identification of criteria that practitioners, other than a physician, ABC or BOC certified practitioner and ABC or BOC accredited supplier (facility), will need to meet in order to be eligible for reimbursement for certain custom fabricated orthoses and prostheses