Page 18 - Mobility Management, March 2019

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NCART Sets 2019 Legislative Agenda
So close. That’s an apt summary of how complex rehab technology’s (CRT) legislative efforts finished in 2018. The industry’s bill to stop Medicare from using competitive bid pricing to set reimbursement for CRT manual wheel- chair accessories was attached to a larger Medicaid bill in early December. The CRT language also included a permanent exemption of CRT manual wheelchair bases from inclusion in future competitive bidding. A week later, that bill passed the House by an overwhelming majority vote. It then went to the Senate, where, amidst an impending government shutdown, the bill stalled and was not passed before Congress adjourned for the year.
Now, the industry finds itself starting over in 2019. But NCART Executive Director Don Clayback noted that the fact that the CRT manual wheelchair bill passed the House by such a majority and did not encounter any objection in the Senate shows that significant progress has been made.
“We were very encouraged on December 11 with the passage of H.R. 7217 in the House by a vote of 400 to 11,” Clayback said. “But as it then moved to the Senate, it stalled based on concerns from a small number of Senators with one of the other bill provisions regarding Medicaid services for children with complex needs. While we continued to advocate in the Senate through the holidays, resolving the government shutdown was the primary focus and made things more challenging.”
Clayback indicated that NCART is now working on getting a new bill introduced. “We will build on our prog- ress,” he said.
In 2019 NCART will be working on a variety of initiatives to protect and promote access to CRT at the federal, state, and private insurer levels. Those initiatives include federal legislation for both CRT manual wheelchairs and a separate benefit category, obtaining Medicare coverage for power seat elevation and standing features, and resolving state Medicaid and Managed Care coverage and payment issues.
The federal legislation will be the focus of the 2019 National CRT Leadership & Advocacy Conference, May 1-2 at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel
in Arlington, Va. NCART and NRRTS are cohosting the meeting. Register at www.ncart.us/crtconf.
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NCART is also continuing to engage and educate consumers via a variety of venues, such as exhibits at Abilities Expos, Webinars and the CRT advocacy Web site www.protectmymobility.org.
“Getting CRT legislation passed and coverage improvements made is a marathon, not a sprint,” Clayback noted. “We’re very grateful for all those who worked on behalf of protecting people with disabilities’ access to CRT in 2018, and we look forward to strength- ening that message and building on that progress in 2019.” m
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SAVE YOUR WORK.
Visit www.protectmymobility.org to discover how you and others can advocate to protect access to Complex Rehab Technology for individuals with disabilities.
NCART’s advocacy efforts include marketing a Web site targeted at wheelchair users and their families. The site offers education and ways for stakeholders to get involved.
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