Maryland Legislative Session- 2026 SEBCM Update!

It is hard to believe that last Monday, March 23rd served as cross-over date during the Maryland Legislative Session. This is the date where a bill, a piece of legislation in one chamber (either the House or Senate), needs to pass through to the opposite chamber in order to have the best chance at making it to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law.

As many of you know, Maryland became the 6th state to pass legislation as part of the So Every BODY Can Move initiative during the 2024 Maryland Legislative Session. The law went into effect on January 1st, 2025 and it requires insurance companies that are regulated by Maryland laws to provide coverage for an additional prosthesis for physical activity when determined to be medically necessary by the individual’s care provider. This includes state commercial insurance plans, state employee insurance plans, and state Medicaid plans.

During this legislative session, we looked to expand on the current law to include coverage for activity-specific orthoses. Having learned a lot from the past two years, the Maryland coalition, led by Sheryl Sachs, MSPO, CPO, worked with legislators to hit the ground running this past January with the start of the legislative session.

Once again, Maryland had two bills filed when session started, SB 276, championed by Senator Pam Beidle and co-sponsors Senator Dawn Gile and Senator Shelly Hettleman, and HB 445, championed by Delegate Ashanti Martinez and original co-sponsor Delegate Bonnie Cullison.

Both bills had hearings in February, and our patient, John Singer, graciously testified at both hearings to share his story and the impact that passing this legislation would have on the lives of Marylanders like himself should it pass. His powerful testimony, along with the other advocates, painted a picture as to the importance of this medically-necessary care.

We are excited to share that both bills passed out of their chambers prior to the crossover date! They are moving their way through the opposite chambers, and we hope that before the end of session on April 13th, they will pass!

SEBCM Mobility Day Weekend

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Photo courtesy of Matt Ryb Pictures for SEBCM.

The weekend of December 4th was a weekend to remember. The So Every BODY Can Move Mobility Day weekend was planned to celebrate the legislation that went into effect on January 1, 2025.

On that day, the So Every BODY Can Move legislation, which passed during the 2024 Maryland legislative session, went into effect. At Dankmeyer, we have seen first-hand the amazing impact of this legislation, which provides insurance coverage for our patients for receive an additional prosthesis for physical activity.* In celebration of this law going into effect earlier this year, Dankmeyer was proud to support and sponsor multiple community events as part of the So Every BODY Can Move Mobility Day weekend.

To kick things off, So Every BODY Can Move partnered with Ottobock to provide a continuing education course focused on the nuances of running prostheses. Around 50 healthcare providers in the Maryland and surrounding areas, including the majority of Dankmeyer’s clinical staff, were in attendance to learn about different components, alignment, fabrication, and fitting of running prostheses, providing them the knowledge to ensure that all patients receiving running prostheses will receive the most appropriate device for their needs. The event ended with a live patient demonstration, where attendees were able to witness a patient truly run for the first time since his amputation surgery 6 years prior!

With the continuation of spreading knowledge, So Every BODY Can Move partnered with the Adaptive Training Academy for an immersive adaptive training experience, where participants had the opportunity to train as if they were an individual with limb loss, limb difference, or with a mobility impairment. They then learned how to properly adapt exercises and use adaptive equipment, which can be used with patients in the clinic or gym settings as they work to improve their physical activity, whether with an activity-specific prosthesis or without.

Photo courtesy of Matt Ryb Pictures for SEBCM.

The final event of this amazing weekend was the official So Every BODY Can Move Mobility Day. Dankmeyer was proud to serve as a champion sponsor for this amazing event. Over 100 individuals, including volunteers and members of the limb loss/limb difference community, came together to celebrate and learn from each other. SEBCM National Leaders Nicole Ver Kuilen and Kyle Stepp flew in from the west coast to be at this event, and speakers also included the Assistant Secretary for the Maryland Department of Disabilities Kim McKay, and Delegate Ashanti Martinez, who was the primary bill sponsor for the So Every BODY Can Move house bill that expanded prosthetic coverage in the state.

Individuals had the opportunity to learn adaptive yoga with Yoga 4 Amputees (Y4A), learn how to play adaptive tennis with the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) and adaptive soccer with American Amputee Soccer Association (AASA), trial running under the supervision of skilled clinicians, including many Dankmeyer CPOs, and participate in adaptive functional/strength training with the Adaptive Training Academy (ATA). Peloton instructor and co-founder of ATA, Logan Aldridge, was in attendance and worked with all of the participants. (You can follow Logan on Instagram - click here.) It was an inspiring event, and Dankmeyer looks forward to continuing to supporting not just So Every BODY Can Move, but the community and patients they serve so that every body can move.

If you have a story to share, please let us know or reach out to sebcm.md@gmail.com.

This story was provided by Dankmeyer clinician Sheryl Sachs, CPO, who was instrumental in moving the legislation forward in Maryland. She currently serves as the State Lead for Maryland’s SEBCM initiative.

The photos in this article are courtesy of SEBCM (Matt Ryb Pictures) and Angie Bryl, CPO.

* It is important to note that only fully insured state insurance plans, state employee insurance plans, and Maryland Medicaid plans (all plans) are subject to state laws. If your insurance does not provide coverage under the new law, but you are interested in provision of an activity-specific prosthesis, please call Dankmeyer to set up a consultation with one of our practitioners to discuss potential coverage options.

So Every BODY Can Move Mobility Challenge

This past July, members of the Dankmeyer Team participated in the 2nd Annual 28 x28 Mobility Challenge, a national fundraiser in support of So Every BODY Can Move.  The challenge encouraged participants from around the country to be physically active for 28 minutes a day for the first 28 days in July. Participants set milage and fundraising goals, and encouraged their friends and family to support them through the challenge.

Over 1,300 individuals across the country joined the challenge and many of our team members joined the SEBCM Maryland Team! The Maryland group raised over $2000 during the month, and logged a whopping 348 miles over those 28 days! A special shoutout to the Dankmeyer staff leading the way in Maryland—Sheryl Sachs MSPO CPO, Jamie Dean, Helena Ringer CPO, Mark Hopkins MBA PT CPO, Jesse Yingling, Lukas Baner CTPO, and Rochelle Groves CPO. At the end of the challenge, over $166,000 was raised in support of this amazing work.

These funds will support efforts across the country, including those in Maryland, to ensure access to this medically necessary orthotic and prosthetic care. We have already seen so many lives changed by the implementation of our prosthetics legislation, which went into effect January 1st, 2025, and the team in Maryland is working hard to expand this coverage during the upcoming legislation session.  To get involved in these efforts, or to see if you now have coverage for activity-specific prostheses, please let your prosthetist know.

SAVE THE DATE

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SAVE THE DATE ***

Also, please SAVE THE DATE!  In celebration of the implementation of the So Every BODY Can Move legislation earlier this year, Dankmeyer will be supporting a So Every BODY Can Move Mobility Clinic weekend that will take place December 4-6, 2025. The events over the course of these three days are open to all members of the community, and we will be sure to share more details as the event gets closer. For more information regarding the Mobility Clinic weekend and for sponsorship opportunities, please reach out to: sebcm.md@gmail.com.

READY TO RUN!!!

Sheryl Sachs, MSPO, CPO Awarded for Advocacy

Sheryl Sachs, Dankmeyer CPO, was a prime mover in the effort to get the So EveryBody Can Move (SEBCM) legislation passed in Maryland. Sheryl was the State Lead Advocate for Maryland. SEBCM is a grassroots policy and advocacy initiative to create equitable and life-changing access to orthotic and prosthetic care necessary for physical activity for individuals with disabilities.

After months of hard work, dedication, and passion from countless advocates, partners, and legislative sponsors SB 614/HB 865 passed the Maryland legislature, and was signed into law by Governor Moore, This legislation will go into effect on January 1, 2025.

Dankmeyer’s Sheryl Sachs, CPO, has worked tirelessly to advocate for passage of the SEBCM legislation in Maryland. In September 2024, Sheryl received two awards to recognize her for her hard work. At the 2024 annual American Orthotics and Prosthetics Association (AOPA) National Assembly in Charlotte, North Carolina, Sheryl was recognized as Woman of the Year. Sheryl was nominated for the award by her peers in O&P, and was selected from four finalists to receive the award in the 2024 O&P Woman of the Year Ceremony.

Prior to the meeting, Sheryl was notified that she had been selected as one of the recipients of the AOPA Ralph R. “Ronney” Snell Legislative Advocacy Award. This honor is bestowed annually to recognize individuals who have made valuable contributions toward advancing the legislative and regulatory goals of the O&P field by motivating members of Congress and other decision makers to take action on behalf of O&P.

Several of Sheryl’s Dankmeyer colleagues were attending the Assembly and were there when she was presented with these awards. We are so proud of the work Sheryl has done that will serve to benefit all of those with limb loss and limb difference in Maryland.

Congratulations, Sheryl!