Industry organizations like the National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology (NCART) are continuing to advocate for rehab to be carved out from competitive bidding by showing how it will reduce beneficiary access to needed mobility equipment, as documented in H.R. 2231, the Medicare Access to Complex Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology Act.

NCART’s Web site www.rehabcarveout.com is asking for grassroots help of “consumers, caregivers, family members, physicians and therapists to assure that people with disabilities have access to the equipment they require.”

NCART points out that restricted access won’t just be for Medicare clients, as “most state Medicaids and managed care organizations base their coverage on Medicare precedent, the outcome will impact all people with disabilities and diagnoses regardless of age.”

NCART offers assistance to industry members and consumers who would like to join advocacy efforts by listing Congressional contacts on its Web site and allowing visitors to look-up legislators in their own state. It also shows Congressional district maps.

At its legislative conference held last month, the American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) featured Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) who expressed his concern that including power chairs in competitive bidding could reduce patient access.

The Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA), along with the Clinician Task Force, NCART, AAHomecare and the National Registry of Rehabilitation Suppliers and the ITEM Coalition also have a Web site to help the grassroots effort, www.complexrehab.org.