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The Federal Trade Commission staff has submitted a comment to Massachusetts State Representative Paul Donato in support of a bill before the Massachusetts legislature, which would allow podiatrists to treat not just the foot, but also the lower leg.

The FTC staff’s letter to Rep. Donato on House Bill 1869/Senate Bill 1329 states that “allowing health care professionals to provide additional services that are within the scope of their training should yield procompetitive benefits for Massachusetts’s health care consumers, which may include lower costs, shorter wait times for appointments, and increased access to lower leg health care across the state.”

The letter urges lawmakers to avoid restrictions on podiatrists that are not narrowly tailored to address well-founded patient safety concerns. It also notes that the aging population and increase in chronic conditions such as diabetes and obesity in the United States is likely to lead to increased demand for medical and surgical foot and ankle care.

The Commission vote approving the comment of the staffs of the FTC’s Office of Policy Planning, Bureau of Competition, and Bureau of Economics to State Representative Paul Donato in support of HB1869/SB1329 was 5-0. (The staff contact is Sarah D. Mackey, Office of Policy Planning, 202-326-3254.)

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