NCART Moves to ‘Next Level’

WASHINGTON—The National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab
Technology has announced that Don Clayback will become its new
executive director, taking over the position July 15.

Formed in 2004, the group is made up of providers and manufacturers
who advocate for products and services needed by those with complex
disabilities and medical conditions.

Clayback brings 22 years of industry experience to the post, the
past six spent as vice president of government relations for member
services organization The MED Group. He has also served as an
industry consultant and vice president at two HME/rehab
companies.

“The NCART board felt that the landscape of the industry
dictated the need for the association to move to the next level as
the voice of complex rehab,” said Gary Gilberti, president of
NCART and CEO of Baltimore-based Chesapeake Rehab Equipment.
“Don’s skill set made him the perfect candidate to lead that
charge.

“With battles looming over the separate benefit category, the
9.5 percent reimbursement cut and battles over the parts of complex
rehab that have not yet been exempted from competitive bidding, it
is critical that the organization be well armed and
prepared,” Gilberti said.

“We’ve got a lot of issues to address, and complex
rehab has a strong message to send,” added Clayback, who has
been involved with NCART since its inception. He said the
coalition’s board has committed resources to make that
happen, including the addition of administrative support and a
lobbying firm that will “focus strictly on the rehab
side” of legislative issues.

“It’s getting to the point where we need some
wins,” said Gilberti. “We had a semi-win last year with
the rehab exemption, and if we can move the 9.5 percent restoration
forward and get a separate benefit category, we’ll be in
better shape.”

Attacking the DME cut is first up, but analyzing both regulatory
and legislative strategies for  a
separate benefit is on the current agenda as well. “If we
can get a regulatory solution it will be a quicker effort,”
Gilberti said. “Traditionally we have tried to work with CMS
and had very limited success, and we may just need that nudge from
Congress with a legislative effort.”

Another focus for the coalition will be forming closer ties with
consumers and advocacy groups to help with those initiatives and
others.

“We’ve made some inroads in getting consumers
involved,” Clayback said, “but we need to bring key
consumer groups such as the ALS Association, [Muscular Dystrophy
Association] and the [National Spinal Cord Injury Association]
closer together with NCART to work in partnership.

“In various communities you are seeing companies getting out
of complex rehab, and I think we will see more of that,” he
continued. “Consumers need to realize when we get caught
reimbursement-wise, that is going to have an effect on the
equipment and services they need.”

The group will upgrade its Web site as a central repository of
information for its members, policymakers and consumers, Clayback
said.

NCART also plans to become more active on Medicaid issues at the
state level, where “we’ve got 50 potential mine
fields,” he added. “We’ve got some challenges,
but we’re going to ramp things up in terms of resources and
strategies so everybody can continue to fight.”

Gilberti said Clayback will transition to the new position over the
next month, replacing Sharon Hildebrandt, who “helped
establish the identity of complex rehab in Washington.”