Underrepresentation of Prosthetic and Orthotic Services in Iran's Relative Value Units System and Its Impacts on Service Delivery: A Perspective

Demand for prosthetic and orthotic services is expected to rise due to the aging population, increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases, and greater accident risks. Regular access to prosthetics and orthotics services is necessary for those who need these assistive devices. Yet, Iran faces important challenges in maintaining comprehensive, affordable prosthetics and orthotics services. Key challenges involve inadequate policy and strategic planning, barriers to health system integration, and difficulties in training a skilled workforce. This article highlights how the overlooking of prosthetic and orthotic services in healthcare tariffs restricts access to affordable care for disabled individuals and hinders workforce training for these essential rehabilitation services. This article proposes some potential tariff reforms to enhance government subsidies or insurance coverage, aiming to lower out-of-pocket costs for patients.

کلیدواژه ها:

Artificial limb ، Orthosis ، service delivery ، tariff ، Relative Value Units