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What it means if you're in the US and why it matters if you're not.
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There is a piece of legislation moving across the United States right now that every device user, everywhere, should know about. Not because it will immediately change what happens in your clinic appointment. But because the argument it is making is one that affects you wherever you live (which we couldn't be more excited about!).
Here is what is happening and why it matters.
What is the law?
The 'So Every BODY Can Move' Act is a piece of state-by-state legislation in the United States that requires insurance providers to cover activity-specific prosthetic and orthotic devices. Including running blades, swimming prostheses and other sports-specific devices designed for physical activity.
Until this legislation is passed in each state that has adopted it, insurers could legally classify these devices as not medically necessary. The reasoning being that physical activity is a lifestyle choice, not a medical requirement.
Connecticut became the latest state to reject that reasoning. The bill passed on 28 May 2026 and was signed into law on 14 July 2026 meaning that it now joins a growing list of states where that denial is no longer legally permissible.
Overall the goal of the movement is 28 states passing this legislation by the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics. At that point, advocates plan to use that critical mass to push for federal reform that covers all 50 states. As of July, fifteen states have passed this legislation.
If you are in the US
If you live in a state where 'So Every BODY Can Move' has passed, your insurer can no longer flatly deny an activity-specific device on the grounds that it is not medically necessary. Unfortunately, that does not mean the process will be simple. Insurers still require medical necessity documentation and there may still be friction. But the legal basis for the blanket refusal is gone.
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If you live in a state where the legislation has not yet passed, the movement may be active and growing. You can check the status of your state and find out how to get involved at here.
The states currently with enacted legislation include Maine, Arkansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Connecticut, and others. South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Indiana all have active efforts underway.
If you are navigating an insurance denial for an activity-specific device right now, the first thing to do is check whether your state has passed this legislation. If it has, that is the foundation of your appeal.
If you are outside the US
The legal change wont apply to your insurance policy or your NHS funding, but here is what does apply to you...
The argument that physical activity is not medically necessary is NOT an American problem. It shows up in NHS funding decisions. It shows up in private insurance policy wording in the UK, Australia, Europe, and elsewhere. It shows up every time a device user asks about a second device for sport and is told it falls outside what can be provided.
What the So Every BODY Can Move movement is doing, state by state, is building an evidence base that belongs to all of us. Every state that passes this legislation and tracks what happens next is generating data; improved health outcomes, reduced long-term healthcare costs, insurance rate increases and so much more. These are the arguments that move policy makers in every country, not just in the US.
Advocates in the UK, Australia, and Europe can point to this data, as long as it is being captured (if not just shout - we got you!). The movement is doing the groundwork for a global argument.
What this is really about
The framing that physical activity is not medically necessary has always been a cost-control position dressed up as clinical reasoning.
When you cannot swim, run, or play with your children because your insurer will not fund the device that would allow you to do those things, the health consequences are real and measurable. Reduced cardiovascular fitness. Increased risk of obesity, depression, and social isolation. Higher lifetime healthcare costs.
The argument the 'So Every BODY Can Move' movement is making is not that everyone deserves a running blade because sport is fun. It is that movement is medicine, and denying access to the devices that enable it costs the healthcare system more in the long run than funding them.
The distinction between a "daily-use device" and an "activity-specific device" is, in many cases, the distinction between existing and living a full life. It should not require years of advocacy to make that case.
And yet here we are.
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What you can do
If you are in the US, visit soeverybodycanmove.org to check your state and find out how to get involved.
And if you are outside the US and you have experience navigating funding for activity-specific devices in your country, share it in the LimbMatch community. We would love to hear what worked, what didn't and what you wish you had known. The people making these decisions need to hear from the people living with them and that is the whole point.
If you have any questions about this or LimbMatch contact us here.