BALTIMORE — A new Maryland law, the Access for All Act, requires the Maryland Medical Assistance Program and the state business plan to cover prosthetics designed for athletic activities, including running, biking or swimming.
The new law was sponsored by John-Edward Heath, a Marine Corps veteran and Paralympian who lost a leg after being hit by a drunk driver.
“I competed in Olympic weightlifting, and I competed in powerlifting and bodybuilding, so I've been pretty active pretty much my entire life,” Heath said.
Get special prosthetics
Heath needed special prosthetics to remain mobile after the amputation, which he received through the Veterans Administration.
Other amputees will have to pay tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket for secondary prosthetics because they are not covered by insurance.
“If I need a certain kind of foot or blade, I get it immediately because I'm a veteran,” Heath said. “That's how the 'Make Mobility Accessible for Everyone' initiative started, because I realized that not everyone had the same access that I did.”
Heath has spent the past year working with Maryland lawmakers to pass legislation that would require insurance companies to pay for more than just a prosthetic leg for people who have lost a limb.
Thanks to new legislation, Effective January 1, 2025amputees can better use these special prosthetics.
“This is going to really bless and change a lot of lives,” Heath said.
The battle for brace coverage
With the help of certified prosthetic and orthotic practitioner Cheryl Sachs, Heath is now pushing state lawmakers to provide external devices, such as braces, for people with orthotics and for people with limited mobility. of insurance.
“Typically insurance will say you're only buying a device for daily use and that's it,” Sacks said. “There's a fairness issue here, and the law basically says that because you have a mobility impairment, you don't have the same rights as someone who doesn't have those impairments. Do the same physical activity as your peers.”
Heath's physical therapist Dr. Andrew Bucknor also plans to be involved. He has seen firsthand the change that sports can bring.
“Whether it's a sport, whether it's playing with your grandkids, playing with your kids, or just navigating life,” Dr. Bucknor said.
