More than 225 complex rehab providers, therapists and consumers came to the Holiday Inn Washington Dulles Airport to attend the 2010 Continuing Education and Legislative Advocacy Conference, hosted by the National Registry of Rehabilitation Technology Suppliers, the National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology, and the University of Pittsburgh.
The event, which runs April 28-30 placed special emphasis on involving consumers and served as an opportunity for the homecare community to meet to discuss various issues, including creating a separate benefit for complex rehab. A paper discussing the separate benefit that was developed by the Separate Benefit Steering Committee of NCART is available for download from the NCART site.
While Wednesday and Friday featured speakers and state delegation meetings, today was focused primarily on Capitol Hill visits. Attendees met with lawmakers and staff today to discuss recognizing complex rehab equipment and services and the need to create a separate benefit for them.
Additionally providers met with Congress members to discuss the negative impact of competitive bidding on patients and providers, and worked to drive co-sponsors for H.R. 3790, the bill introduced by Rep. Kendrick Meek (D.-Fla.) that calls for the repeal of CMS’s national competitive bidding program.
Presentations at the show include:
- “Disparities in Assistive Technology for Mobility in People with Spinal Cord Injury,” by Suzanne L. Groah, MDof the National Rehab Hospital.
- “The Complex Rehab Technology Separate Benefit Proposal: What You Need to Know and Share,” by Don Clayback, executive directorof NCART, and Rita Hostak of Sunrise Medical.
- “Sacred Cows, Ouija boards and Magic 8 Balls – How are equipment decisions really made,” by Lauren Rosen, PT, MPT, ATP of St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital of Tampa, and Gerry Dickerson, CRTS, ATP of Medstar.
- “Three Perspectives on Providing Complex Rehab Technology,” by Jay Doherty, OTR, ATP of Quantum Rehab.
- “Adapting to Change; Providing Appropriate Complex Rehab Technology in Trying Times,” by Claudia Amortegui of The Orion Group.