Page 17 - Mobility Management, November 2017

Bill for CRT Manual Wheelchair Accessories Introduced in House
A much-anticipated bill that would amend Medicare reimbursement policies for manual wheelchair accessories has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Don Clayback, executive director of NCART, said in
a Sept. 8 e-mail to stakeholders that Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) and Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) had introduced the bill that day, soon after Congress returned from summer recess. H.R. 3730 was introduced with 41 original
co-sponsors — 19 Republicans and 22 Democrats.
Clayback added that the bill’s list
of original co-sponsors “includes excellent representation from the key Congressional committees.”
The bill was introduced
in response to current Medicare
policy, which uses competitive bidding-derived pricing to set allowables for accessories used on complex rehab technology (CRT) manual wheelchairs.
Accessories used on CRT power wheelchairs were originally under the same sort of policy, but that policy was changed in June.
CRT manual wheelchairs weren’t included in that policy change, making the new House bill a neces- sity to ensure continued beneficiary access to what Clayback referred to not just as accessories, but as “critical components.”
The bill’s description on the congress.gov Web site: “To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the non-application of Medicare competitive acquisi- tion rates to complex rehabilitative manual wheelchairs and accessories.”
“People with disabilities who use a CRT manual
wheelchair should have the same access to critical wheelchair components as those who use a CRT power wheelchair,” Clayback said. “Our sincere thanks to Rep. Zeldin, Rep. Larson and the other representatives who joined as original co-sponsors for their leadership to protect access for people with disabilities.”
In late September the ITEM Coalition sent a letter to Congressional leaders to voice its support of H.R. 3730. The letter was co-signed by 32 clinician and consumer organizations, including Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Clinician Task Force, American Occupational Therapy Association, American Physical Therapy Association and United Cerebral Palsy.
At press time, the industry awaited a companion Senate bill. m
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MOBILITY MANAGEMENT | NOVEMBER 2017 15