ATLANTA--By July 1, Georgia HME providers must employ certified personnel to supply custom rehab equipment under the state's Medicaid program.

According to the Georgia Medicaid supplier manual, suppliers must be certified by RESNA (Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North America) or an "accepted equivalent" to supply custom rehab equipment under Medicaid. Patricia Ross, DME program specialist for the Georgia Department of Community Health's Division of Medical Assistance, said the state will accept the Certified Rehab Technology Supplier (CRTS) credential from the National Registry of Rehab Technology Suppliers (NRRTS) as well.

Ross announced the certification requirement at the Georgia Association of Medical Equipment Services' (GAMES) December meeting. She explained that the requirement applies for those selling rehab equipment that must be fitted to the end-user; examples, including certain power and manual wheelchairs, are listed in the Medicaid supplier manual. She added that a new draft of the rule with minor revisions is expected by April.

The requirement, Ross explained, was written to address quality issues. "Some providers out there think that by having a sign and delivering equipment by UPS, they're servicing the customer," she said.

According to Jason Rogers, GAMES president-elect and vice president of Athens, Ga.-based Care Medical, the certification requirement represents a positive move for Georgia providers, and the association is sponsoring classes to ensure providers' employees can receive certification.

"Atlanta providers can find and hire certified employees," Rogers explained. But referring to the fact that much of the state is rural, he added, "outside Atlanta, we have to grow our own."

More details on the policy can be found within Georgia's Medicaid supplier manual, available at the state's Department of Community Health's Web site by clicking here.

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