A Letter from the President

It is an honor to begin my service as President of the California Orthotic and Prosthetic Association (COPA) at a very unique time. COPA entered 2020 with a solid plan of lobbying for increased Medi-Cal reimbursement rates at the Capitol. Unfortunately, our scheduled legislative day in Sacramento coincided with the onset of the pandemic and we were quickly ushered into a new reality. Despite the inability to lobby for fee schedule reform, COPA remained steadfast in providing value to our members. We successfully represented our members in the Orange County area to push back on a payer and we held multiple webinars on topics ranging from manufacturers entering patient care to health care legislation. COPA also launched a grassroots effort to build momentum toward fee schedule reform and virtually met with several key California legislators. The pandemic thwarted our plans to hold an educational event in 2020 but we are optimistic that we will host one in 2021. I credit the COPA board of directors for their flexibility and creativity to pivot its strategy amidst unexpected external changes in order to remain productive and effective for the COPA members.

2021 represents a new year and new opportunities to serve the COPA membership. Though the pandemic still exists, COPA is committed to unifying the voice of the O&P patients, providers, business owners, and manufacturers. We will be pursuing the following strategic initiatives:

• Continued grassroots legislative effort aimed at improving patient access to care and increasing Medi-Cal reimbursement
• Draft legislation to increase the Medi-Cal fee schedule for O&P
• Regular webinars on pertinent industry topics
• High-quality educational event
• Resources to assist businesses with payer negotiations

Accomplishing the goals above will take hard work and collaboration. The COPA board is looking to its members to engage in our strategic efforts and help move the industry forward together. I encourage you to reach out to me or any other board member to join a committee that interests you. Thank you for your membership with COPA and interest in improving the O&P industry in California.

Spencer Greene, MS, CPO
President
California Orthotic and Prosthetic Association
(209) 573-1806
sgreene@hanger.com