Edwards: New Codes Designed for Flexibility

Las Vegas

The chief architect behind 49 new power wheelchair and scooter codes said they should make it easier to meet patient needs, now and in the future.

“We anticipate [clinicians] should have a much greater selection and [be able to] fit the chair more accurately to the patient,” SADMERC Medical Director Dr. Doran Edwards told an audience at the Las Vegas Renaissance Hotel during Medtrade Spring. The April 7 session was sponsored by the National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology.

Edwards said the codes, which Medicare plans to implement Jan. 1, can be used to anticipate a patient’s needs “over the next two to three years.” He noted that clinicians will be able to prescribe option upgrades that can be added to the power base as a patient’s condition changes.

Including common add-ons in the base price should also make billing easier, he added. The SADMERC analyzed common features from 260,000 power mobility claims to determine which add-ons would be included in the initial package.

At press time, CMS’ new coverage policy for mobility devices had not been released. A regulation requiring a face-to-face physician exam and a new wheelchair CMN also were in the works.