.png)
Apr 4, 2022
The Amputation Reduction And Compassion (ARC) Act
The CVC is urging support for the Amputation Reduction and Compassion (ARC) Act, sponsored by Congressmen Donald Payne, Jr. (D-NJ), Bobby Rush (D-IL) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ). The legislation aims to improve peripheral artery disease (PAD) education, increase access to PAD screening, and prevent avoidable lower limb amputations.
The Amputation Reduction and Compassion (ARC) Act (H.R. 2631) would provide coverage of PAD screening for at-risk beneficiaries under the Medicare and Medicaid programs without the imposition of cost-sharing requirements.
By expanding coverage for PAD screening, such as the ankle-brachial index test for at-risk beneficiaries, the bill would help prevent vulnerable individuals from developing serious complications from PAD, which can lead to lower limb amputation. While an estimated 20 million Americans have PAD, many are unaware of the serious risks of the disease and are not encouraged to undergo regular screening that could improve patient outcomes and reduce costs to the healthcare system.
An estimated 200,000 patients – a disproportionate number of whom are minorities – suffer avoidable amputations every year as a result of PAD.
The ARC Act would prohibit the use of amputation without the completion of arterial testing to determine if alternative interventions could be applied. It would also establish a PAD education program to support, develop, and implement educational initiatives that inform healthcare professionals and the public about the existence of PAD and methods to reduce amputations, particularly with respect to at-risk populations, such as racial and ethnic minorities who are more likely to face non-traumatic amputation than whites.
Resources
Article in ProPublica: The Black American Amputation Epidemic
Article in The State: Cut Off, North Carolina 29203 Has High Rate of Diabetic Amputations