The National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology released a statement calling on providers, patients and other stakeholders to lobby on behalf of legislation that would prevent cuts to accessories for complex rehab technology wheelchairs.

The cuts are part of CMS’s plan to apply competitive bid program pricing to complex rehab wheelchair accessories on a national basis as part of the competitive bidding expansion effective Jan. 1, 2016. NCART reported that those cuts will reduce reimbursement for those items by 20 percent to 40 percent.

“This is a result of CMS violating the intent of existing Congressional legislation and inappropriately using Medicare Competitive Bid Program pricing for ‘standard’ wheelchair accessories to cut payments for ‘complex rehab’ wheelchair accessories,” NCART Executive Director Donald Clayback wrote in a public statement.

Bearing that in mind, Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) introduced in July H.R.3229, a new bill that will prevent CMS from applying competitive bidding-derive pricing to complex rehab wheelchair accessories.

This legislation address CMS’s plan to apply competitive bid program pricing to complex rehab wheelchair accessories on a national basis as part of the competitive bidding expansion effective Jan. 1, 2016. The bill will provide a technical correction to clarify that CMS cannot apply Medicare competitive bidding program pricing information to these accessories used with complex rehab wheelchairs.

“If Congressional legislation is not passed to prevent this, there will be devastating consequences to people with disabilities who rely on Complex Rehab wheelchairs to meet their medical needs and maximize their function and independence,” Clayback stated. “…Our collective task is to get as many co-sponsors on this bill as we can over the next several weeks and get Congress to pass it as soon as possible.”

To that end, NCART called on advocates to do three things on behalf of the bill:

1. Visit cqrcengage.com/access2crt/HR3229, a web page dedicated to the issue, in order to access helpful background documents they  can use in their outreach as needed. They can also view a list of current co-sponsors to verify their Representative has not yet signed on (this list will be updated daily as the bill gets new co-sponsors).

2. Send an email. If their Representative has not signed on, providers can use the link provided on the web page to send an email. To find their Representatives, advocates can supply their home address and your Representative will be identified. A template message is provided to use as is or it can be modified.

3. Make a call. NCART suggests advocates wait 24 to 48 hours after sending their email and then call their Representative’s office using the guidelines provided on the web page.

“After starting your advocacy by sending the email, your follow up to get a ‘yes’ answer is critical,” Clayback noted in NCART’s statement. “Additional emails and phone calls may be required. Remember Congress is a busy place. But we have seen proof that positive results do come from polite persistence with your Congressional offices.”