WASHINGTON--In a recent letter to Congress, Muscular Dystrophy Association National Chairman Jerry Lewis urged federal lawmakers to pass H.R. 2231, the Medicare Access to Complex Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology Act of 2007.
The proposed legislation would exempt complex rehab products and assistive technologies from Medicare's competitive bidding program.
Current Medicare competitive bidding policy limits those who need equipment such as technologically advanced power wheelchairs to one or two pre-selected equipment vendors, "promoting a one-size-fits-all concept of care," Lewis said in his letter.
He urged Congress to include H.R. 2231 in a package of Medicare provisions that will be coming before the Senate shortly.
"How can you restrict people's choices when selecting wheelchairs and other vital equipment," Lewis wrote. "This is not only medically wrong, but fiscally irresponsible."
Rita Hostak of Sunrise Medical, president of the National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology, said the group was grateful for the support of its complex rehab carve-out bill. "This is important to demonstrate to Congress that consumers will be harmed should complex rehab equipment be competitively bid," she said.
MDA is the second consumer group to officially endorse H.R. 2231. The ALS Association lent its support to the measure at an NCART press event on Sept. 25.