Complex Rehab Legislation Making Waves on the Hill

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 2, 2019)—New legislation to establish a separate benefit for complex rehab technology (CRT) wheelchairs under Medicare has been introduced in the House. H.R. 2408, sponsored by Reps. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wisc.) and Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.), will allow CMS to develop new coverage policies and standards that reflect the significant differences between CRT and other HME, including the training and high level of service associated with these products and the profound physical challenges for patients who require CRT. Find additional perspective on the need for separate benefit legislation in this policy brief that also notes some of the leading organizations supporting the bill.

The new legislation joins two other CRT bills introduced over the last 18 days. S. 1223 and H.R. 2293 would exclude manual CRT wheelchairs from the bidding program and suspend the use of bidding-derived pricing for manual CRT accessories. These bills would affirm long-held Congressional intent to keep CRT products out of the bidding program and sensibly align reimbursement policy for manual CRT accessories with CMS’s 2017 decision to exempt Group 3 power CRT accessories from bidding-derived pricing.

“We’re encouraged that Congressional advocates for CRT remain committed to policies that will help ensure patient access to these highly specialized products and related services,” said Tom Ryan, AAHomecare president and CEO in a press release. “We appreciate the significant work that NCART and other mobility stakeholders, along with patient group leaders, have put into building support for CRT legislation on Capitol Hill. We look forward to helping make the case for these new bills and other HME policy priorities at our upcoming Legislative Conference and in the months ahead.”

Visit https://aahomecare.org/ for more information.