Policy Change In South Carolina and Connecticut

The American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery would like to recognize two organizations that were instrumental in helping pass laws to make it easier for podiatrists to perform ankle surgery. The South Carolina Podiatric Medical Association (SCPMA) worked tirelessly for years to develop bill H3622, which broadens the practice scope for doctors of podiatry. The South Carolina bill will next go to Governor Henry McMaster for signature – the final step in the legislative process. The law will go into effect upon his signature.

Further North along the east coast, Connecticut is set to enact changes to current scope-of-practice law, which will make it much easier for podiatrists to perform ankle surgery. This is due in large part to the advocacy of the Connecticut Podiatric Medical Association (CPMA) and their work with the Connecticut legislature. Here’s a bit of history. In 2008, CPMA made significant compromises with the orthopedic community in order to get an ankle bill passed. The compromises included creating an ankle advisory committee made up of podiatrists and orthopedic physicians. The job of the committee was to evaluate surgical permit applications by podiatrists. If the committee approved the applications, the podiatrists would receive a permit to perform ankle surgery. This long, intensive process was a barrier for podiatrists who wished to treat their patients surgically. The recent legislative victory of the CPMA involved working with the Connecticut legislature to amend the 2008 law, including removing the ankle permitting process and doing away with the ankle advisory committee. When Governor Dannel Malloy signs the bill, it will be effective on October 1, 2018, opening the door for many qualified podiatrists to perform ankle surgery – and giving more choices and better access to Connecticut residents in need of foot and ankle care.

We congratulate both the South Carolina Podiatric Medical Association and the Connecticut Podiatric Medical Association for these significant legislative victories.