Frequently Asked Questions
Do you take insurance? Does insurance cover custom orthotics?
At this point we only accept WEA Insurance and WPS Health Insurance. If you have health insurance through any other company, the best thing to do is to call your insurance company and ask them directly, does your policy cover custom foot orthotics? Sometimes it will, sometimes it won't, or orthotics may be partially covered. Your insurance company is the only one who can answer this question. One thing the insurance company will require is a prescription from a doctor, which is normally quite easy to obtain. If you have a medical doctor that you've seen in the past, a call to that doctor's office will usually be enough to procure a prescription. If you tell the doctor's nurse that you have foot pain, or knee pain, etc., that will usually be enough for them to get the ball rolling. Occasionally the doctor will want to see you first before issuing the prescription.
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What do you charge for a pair of custom orthotics? My usual charges for a pair of custom orthotics are between $300 and $350, which is in line with what one would pay anywhere else for a pair of custom medical orthotics, so our price is very competitive. That includes the examination, casting of the feet, one pair of custom orthotics, and any follow-up necessary (if they need to be adjusted). I also give my patients back their casts, which can be reused in the future to make additional pairs of orthotics. The orthotics I fabricate should last from 2 to 4 years. After that they will likely need to be replaced. By reusing the same casts, I will be able to provide additional pairs for a much lower cost than the original pair.
Are your orthotics made of hard plastic? As a pedorthist, I don't believe in hard plastic orthotics, like those used by most podiatrists and physical therapists. They are too rigid, are quite uncomfortable, and have a very low compliance rate. People don't like them because they are painful to wear. The custom orthotics that I design and fabricate in my own lab are made of softer materials, mainly using cork and EVA (EVA is the material the soles of most athletic shoes are made of). This type of orthotic is called semi-rigid. The materials are rigid enough to support the arch of the foot, but they are not so rigid that they cause pain. The patient gets a device that not only corrects their problem, but also is much more comfortable to wear. So, as a pedorthist, I have a much higher compliance rate. My patients love wearing their orthotics! Do you have orthotics for my shoes which do not have a removable insole?
Yes, I have an orthotic which is called a dress orthotic. These are for those dressier types of shoes which do not have a removable insole. Dress orthotics are quite a bit thinner than regular orthotics and are usually cut to ¾ length. The cost for these is less than half the cost of a pair of regular orthotics. These are not meant to be your primary orthotic.
What method do you use to get your casts?
I cast my patients using a foam impression box, getting what is known as a semi-weightbearing impression. I have them sit in a chair and, while holding their foot in a neutral position, I press their foot down into the foam. As a certified pedorthist, I specialize in custom orthotics. As such, our training gives us the unique ability to design and fabricate much better custom orthotics than those made by any other medical professional, who are doing orthotics outside of their main speciality (PT's, podiatrists who are mainly foot surgeons, chiropractors, etc.) Our method is quick, clean and provides the most optimum casts, which are a great starting point for the orthotics that we build in our own laboratory (not sent out to an outside lab).
What if I am not from Wisconsin, how do I find a Certified Pedorthist (C.Ped.) in my area?
Here's how to find a certified pedorthist in other areas. Go to www.abcop.com. In the "Directory Search" box input your zip code. Then go down to the third list which appears, this is the list of "Credentialed Individuals". Search this list for the Certified Pedorthists, which are denoted by a "C.Ped." next to their name. Call some of them and ask them three main questions. 1) Do they fabricate their own orthotics? I would recommend going to those that do fabricate their own devices. 2) Is the main material their orthotics are made of plastic? I recommend against the use of plastic, it's just too rigid and uncomfortable. Cork and EVA based orthotics are much more desirable. 3) What type of patient do they specialize in? it's better if they specialize in active individuals (as opposed to diabetic-type patients). My experience has shown me that an active person will receive a better device, and therefore better care, if they go to a provider who specializes in sports-medicine type patients, or active individuals.