Keeping a Stable Pace

In the midst of economic turmoil in 2009, the manual wheelchair market managed to march along at a stable and even boring pace. Untouched by the vagaries of DMEPOS competitive bidding and the 9.5 percent cut that affected so many products, prescriptions for K4 and K5 custom manual categories remained steady.

“The fact that manual wheelchairs were not included in competitive bidding has given our partner providers some opportunities,” says Mike McCarthy, ATP, national sales manager for custom manual wheelchairs and Synergy seating products at Quantum Rehab, a division of Pride Mobility Products Corp. “For those who've chosen to add manual wheelchairs to their business model, it has brought some measure of balance back to the 9.5 percent cut.”

While acknowledging that the competitive landscape has not changed a lot in the past year, McCarthy contends that the custom manual prescription climate is significantly more welcoming than the market for commodity-type prescriptions or rental chairs. After just crossing the five-year mark with its ultra-lightweight folding chair, the Litestream XF — a K5 custom manual — officials at Pride believe they are well-positioned for the new year.

McCarthy attributes the manual segment growth at Pride to targeted product enhancements such as a recently launched depth-adjustable frame package.

“There are also variations in armrest configurations, which was a big request from our customer base,” says McCarthy. “Custom configurable wheel and tire packages were also a big hit, and those things have really been the catalyst for our growth.”

Rita Hostak, vice president of government relations for Sunrise Medical, contends that the absence of manual wheelchairs from competitive bidding has helped to foster new ideas in this segment.

“Innovation has continued at a higher rate than in those segments hit hard by reimbursement cuts and the anticipated impact of competitive bidding,” says Hostak. “This is positive for individuals with disabilities, and it promotes competition at the manufacturer and supplier level that is based on more than price. Product quality and technological solutions for consumers are still high priorities in this product segment.”

Late last year, Sunrise added a number of enhancements across its Zippie pediatric manual wheelchairs — the Iris, GS2, Kidz and TS — including hub locks, angle adjustable push handles, colorful spoke guards and color options like “Glow in the Dark” and “Root Beer.”