Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) have introduced S. 5154, a companion bill to H.R. 5371 — the Choices for Increased Mobility Act — that allows Medicare beneficiaries to upgrade their ultralightweight wheelchair frames.

The Senate bill was introduced on Sept. 24, the day of the legislative fly-in hosted by the National Coalition for Assistive & Rehab Technology (NCART) and U.S. Rehab.

The two bills would create a more accessible path for Medicare beneficiaries to pay out of pocket to upgrade their new ultralightweight wheelchairs to carbon fiber or titanium frames.

Currently, Medicare beneficiaries wishing to upgrade must pay the entire cost of the upgrade and the ultralightweight wheelchair out of pocket, then wait for partial Medicare reimbursement. The burden of paying the entire cost of the wheelchair up front puts this option out of reach for many beneficiaries, the bills’ advocates have said.

In a Sept. 30 news release, NCART announced, “The industry eagerly awaited the release of the Senate companion for H.R. 5371, and the timing could not have been better. The bill would allow consumers to choose a titanium or composite manual wheelchair without paying fully for it upfront. We expect this bill, just like H.R. 5371, to be budget neutral for the American taxpayer.”

At last week’s fly-in, NCART added, nearly 40 advocates visited 70 Congressional offices. H.R. 5371 and the Senate companion bill were priority topics during the meetings, with Complex Rehab Technology advocates asking members of Congress and Senators to co-sign.