Senate Passes Manual CRT Protections

Upper chamber approves spending bill containing provisions that protect Manual CRT wheelchairs and accessories from competitive bidding. Bill goes to President to be signed into law.

• By David Kopf
• Dec 19, 2019

Preventing a government shutdown, the Senate voted 71-23 to approve H.R. 1865, the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, which also includes provisions that protect manual CRT chairs and accessories from competitive bidding.

The legislative language comes from the Protecting Access to Wheelchairs Act and permanently exempts manual CRT wheelchairs from the competitive bid program. It also suspends the application of competitive bidding-derived reimbursement rates for manual CRT wheelchair accessories for 18 months, starting Jan. 1, 2020. The provisions cover wheelchairs falling under HCPCS codes E1235, E1236, E1237, E1238, and K0008, as well as accessories for those chairs.

The House voted for the bill Tuesday, so the approved legislation now goes to President Trump’s desk, where he is expected to sign it into law before midnight tomorrow, Dec. 20.

“Thanks for everybody’s continued work, and we will let you know when the President signs,” said Don Clayback, Executive Director of the National Coalition for Assistive & Rehab Technology (NCART).

“Another industry win and a great stakeholders’ effort,” added Tom Ryan, president and CEO of The American Association for Homecare. “This is a great example of how consistent and persistent advocacy efforts can lead to a win for our industry.”

“It has been a great industry effort to bring to a conclusion this bill addressing the needs of patients and providers of CRT products,” noted Tom Powers, director of Government Relations for VGM Group.