Government Affairs

Through COPA’S Government Affairs Committee, the association serves to protect the O&P practitioner by monitoring and taking an active role in legislative and regulatory issues impacting our community and our patients. This is accomplished by bringing California’s O&P practitioners together as one voice to strengthen and solidify our presence within the healthcare community and at the State Capitol.

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE:

Chairperson: Luis Mora

Mission Statement: We will provide value to the orthotics and prosthetics community in California through meaningful involvement in state and federal government affairs. We will act as the voice of the patients, providers, and manufacturers of the orthotics and prosthetics industry in California to advance the industry.

2025 Committee Goals:

• Medi-Cal fee schedule increase to 80% of prevailing Medicare rate
  1. Pursue targeted rate increases via MCO tax fund.
  2. Use the momentum generated by the recent passing of proposition 35 to continue to advocate Medi-Cal fee schedule reform
  3. Collaborate with COPA’s lobbyist to create and submit documents prior to deadlines
  4. Form strategic relationships with legislators, their staff and key department heads to garner the necessary support and votes to bring the fee schedule initiative to fruition
• Initiate So Every BODY Can Move Campaign
  1. Utilize AOPA Toolkit to initiate a successful campaign to get secondary “activity specific” devices covered.
  2. Utilize Amputee Coalition advocates to create awareness for this campaign
  3. Recruit native California patient advocates and prosthetic users to promote this campaign
• Collaborate with AOPA and Amputee Coalition
  1. Effectively utilize AOPA’s staff expertise, data, and tactical tools for conducting grassroots campaigns to support of our Medi-Cal initiative and any other issues that may arise in CA that require action by COPA and this committee.
  2. Create and grow a list of California state “advocates” who are members of AOPA and COPA who we can count on to participate in grassroots campaigns and have these advocates use AOPA tools for reaching out to state legislators
  3. Help support AOPA’s efforts to increase awareness of O&P care and technology among legislators, educators, health care influencers and the media
  4. Build on the Amputee Coalition’s expertise with SEBCM efforts from successes in other states
• Identify and train patient advocates
  1. Prepare advocates to effectively share their experiences with elected officials and include them in tours and other interactions with legislators and their staff
• Demonstrate value to the O&P industry in CA.
  1. Develop compelling content and support the publishing of at least four issues of the COPA newsletter
  2. Help create other communication tools and pursue opportunities to inform members and potential members about COPA’s advocacy activities to demonstrate COPA’s impact and the value of being a COPA member
• Recruit at least one resident and one student to serve on the Government Affairs Committee