WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 30, 2015)—Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) continues to seek co-sponsors for H.R. 3229, legislation to protect access to complex rehab wheelchair accessories by preventing the application of prices derived from the Medicare competitive bidding program. Currently, the co-sponsor tally stands at 18.
Complex rehab wheelchairs and related accessories are used by individuals with high level disabilities such as ALS, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injury, and traumatic brain injury. The specialized equipment is provided through a clinical team model and requires evaluation, configuration, fitting, adjustment, or programming. Applying pricing based on bidding rates for standard wheelchair accessories, and derived from bid data from just nine competitive bid areas, and on bids made in 2008, will ultimately result in fewer providers serving individuals with profound medical needs. See more details in AAHomecare's related issue brief.
Your support is especially needed in light of the fact that these changes are slated to go into effect on January 1, 2016.
In April of this year, 100 members of the House of Representatives signed on to a letter to CMS asking for clarification of the Agency’s plans for complex rehab accessories. The letter reads, in part:
The application of competitive bidding pricing to these accessories is contrary to MIPPA and to subsequent CMS policies related to payment for complex rehabilitative manual wheelchair accessories. Clear precedent affirms that these items should continue to be paid at the established fee schedule amounts, as they are today and have been for more than six years during the operation of the competitive bidding program.
Take a moment to see if your legislator is one of the 18 current co-sponsors of the bill. If not, please contact their office (see our Congressional directory for contact info) and ask to speak to an individual who handles healthcare-related issues, and ask that they co-sponsor H.R. 3229. If they are with one of the 100 legislators who signed on to above-noted letter, please remind them of that fact, as well.
If you would like additional help or advice in how to communicate with your Representatives on this issue, please contact Gordon Barnes at gordonb@aahomecare.org.
