Senate Letter Opposes ‘In-The-Home’ Restriction

WASHINGTON–Sens. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., and Jeff Bingaman,
D-N.M., are circulating a “dear colleague” letter, asking their
fellow senators to sign a letter to HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt
urging him to modify Medicare’s in-the-home restriction for
coverage of mobility equipment.

A number of disability advocate groups and mobility stakeholders
were disappointed when CMS released its final mobility national
coverage determination in May because it did not remove the
restriction–language that limits coverage to those who have
medical need for mobility-assist devices in the home, excluding
those who need the equipment only for work or another use outside
of the home.

The senators are circulating the letter on behalf of the ITEM
(Independence through Enhancement of Medicare and Medicaid)
coalition, which also supported the same “dear colleague” letter
sent through the House last month by Reps. Charles Bass, R-N.H.,
and James Langevin, D-R.I. To date, about 50 House members have
agreed to sign on to that letter.