WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 6, 2021)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule on July 30, 2021, permanently exempted manual complex rehab technology (CRT) wheelchair accessories from pricing based on competitive bidding results for standard wheelchair accessories.
On page 4 of the Final Rule, CMS shares their estimates for the overall impact of for protecting CRT accessories over the next five years:
• DMEPOS Complex Power Wheelchair Accessories: The overall economic impact of this final rule is an estimated $130 million in increased payments from the federal government to DME suppliers from FY 2022 to FY 2026.
• DMEPOS Complex Manual Wheelchair Accessories: The overall economic impact of this final rule is an estimated $40 million in increased payments from the federal government to DME suppliers from FY 2022 to FY 2026 II.
The total positive impact for CRT providers over the next five years: $170 million. And that’s on top of the hundreds of millions in cuts that have been prevented through various delays in applying bidding-derived pricing since 2016 and the permanent exemption for power CRT accessories gained in 2017.
Seth Johnson, senior vice president of government affairs with Pride Mobility, has been closely involved in the extended campaign to protect CRT accessories from the beginning. He shares his perspectives on the effort here:
“The complex rehab wheelchair accessory issue has been a battle since late 2014 and it is great news to finally secure long-term protection for all CRT accessories. While it took a long time to get to the finish, the results are definitely worth the effort.”
“This success would not have been possible without the leadership from our congressional champions—Sens. Casey and Portman and Reps. Larsen and Zeldin. Their leadership, coupled with the tireless grassroots efforts from CRT providers, consumers, clinicians and manufacturers made the difference!”
“It is easy to get discouraged year-after-year carrying the same messages to legislators, but this shows the power of persistence to get the job done on major policy challenges. Now the CRT community can shift our focus on securing Medicare coverage for power seat elevation and power standing systems and build on the progress we’ve already made on that issue. I’m excited to continue working with CRT advocates and our allies in the House and Senate to improve access to these rapidly evolving, cutting-edge products.”
The campaign to protect the full scope of CRT wheelchair accessories began in late 2014. Six-and-a-half years of sustained effort has resulted in millions of dollars towards CRT providers’ bottom lines—and more importantly, it helps these providers continue to support patients and caregivers who depend on CRT to protect their well-being and enhance their quality of life. That’s a return on investment the HME community can be proud of.
