PORTLAND, Maine (AP) A pair of U.S. senators wants to use federal legislation to give diabetic people better access to therapeutic shoes.
Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown say their legislation would allow nurse practitioners and physician assistants to certify patients’ need for the shoes. Diabetic patients sometimes use the shoes to prevent complications that can include foot ulcers and calluses.
Brown says the legislation would eliminate bureaucracy by ensuring that more health professionals can treat patients and sign off on therapies that they need.
The bill is called the Promoting Access to Diabetic Shoes Act. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners and American Academy of Physician Assistants both endorse the bill, as does the American podiatric Medical Association.
