ADA and HME Stand For Independence

This summer, our nation celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. For the home medical equipment community, it's important to recognize the opportunities that ADA has created for millions of people, and at the same time, we need to focus attention on the battles still being fought on behalf of Americans living with disabilities.

More than 54 million Americans have physical or mental impairments that substantially limit daily activities. They are protected under the ADA, and many receive equipment and care from the HME community.

Congress and the Medicare program, which serves this population, have adopted a number of policies that are making it more difficult than ever for Medicare patients to receive vital home medical equipment and services. Appropriate medical equipment and related services are essential for Medicare patients seeking to remain healthy and independent rather than being placed in nursing home or other institutions.

But misguided programs and policies in Medicare — such as the “competitive” bidding program and elimination of the first-month purchase option for power wheelchairs — will hamper patient access to care. The best illustrations of what's at stake come from power wheelchair users and others who are on the front lines of the HME community.

“I am worried about the impact of competitive bidding,” says Lucy Spruill, director of public policy and community relations for United Cerebral Palsy of Pittsburgh. Spruill, who has spina bifida, knows firsthand about the importance of access to adequate equipment and care. “It will reduce the number of DME providers, which is already insufficient to meet the demands of power mobility. It will increase the likelihood that patients will get the cheapest rather than most appropriate mobility device, which will lead to difficulty using the equipment, health problems, decreased activity and safety issues.”

A wheelchair user, whose story was shared with Congress and the media through AAHomecare's Mobility Matters bulletin, illustrates another part of the challenge. The user sought a power wheelchair from Medi-Source Equipment & Supply, an HME provider in rural Yucca Valley, Calif. Both his legs had been amputated, and after a stroke he had the use of one “good” arm that constantly ached.