MARKHAM, Ontario—Cheelcare Inc., a Canadian provider of advanced mobility solutions, announced that it has received Pricing, Data Analysis and Coding (PDAC) verification for the Companion power assist device, confirming reimbursement eligibility.
PDAC verification ensures manufacturers use the correct Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes for Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance claims, ensuring quality and functionality standards.
Cheelcare currently is represented by a growing network of more than 300 authorized dealers throughout the United States. Historically, adoption of Companion within this network has been primarily concentrated within Veterans Affairs (VA), vocational rehab and workers compensation (WC) programs, due to the absence of Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. This reimbursement represents a significantly larger addressable market, and the company said it expects this approval to accelerate sales activity across its existing U.S. dealer footprint.
"PDAC approval of a product is a critical step that most DME dealers require," said Allan Boyd, Cheelcare's vice president of growth. "This approval confirms that dealers may bill Medicare for Companion under HCPCS code E0986, which is expected to reduce financial barriers to providing medically necessary equipment for users who would otherwise be required to pay out of pocket. This makes our technology more accessible to end-users who need it and gives therapists the ability to prescribe it without funding-related constraints."
"This approval marks an important milestone for Cheelcare," said Eugene Cherny, CEO of Cheelcare Inc. "We believe we have a best-in-class product, have built a strong U.S. dealer network and have invested ahead of this milestone to enhance our product, strengthen our quality systems and expand manufacturing capacity at our new 16,000-square-foot facility. Together, these efforts position us well to capitalize on the growth and demand we expect to see as a result of this major development."