Keep up the Pressure on CMS re Power Wheelchairs!
March 2004

Henry Claypool of the Item Coalition writes:

During CMS's March 31, 2004 "Open Door Forum on the Medicare Power Mobility Benefit," an astonishing 657 people attempted to participate via conference call. However, as the forum abruptly wrapped up that afternoon, not one of those 657 callers had been given the opportunity to speak, practically eliminating the consumer's voice from this "open" discussion. Furthermore, CMS has continued to hold these forums in Baltimore, an inconvenient location for any Washington-based advocate, but especially for those advocates with disabilities. We need to let CMS know that the Medicare power mobility benefit effects more than the manufacturers and that everyone deserves a voice in this debate about independence! As we continue to fight for better access to wheelchairs through the Medicare program we need you to take action. Please see the message below.

HELP US GET WASHINGTON TO FIX MEDICARE REGULATIONS ON WHEELCHAIRS, SCOOTERS, AND SIMILAR DEVICES!

In December, 2003, as part of a new initiative to fight fraud in the Medicare wheelchair benefit, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a "Policy Clarification" that severely limited access to wheelchairs and other mobility devices. After months of fighting by individuals like you and organizations like the ITEM Coalition, the Policy Clarification was retracted in March, 2004.

HOWEVER, THE FIGHT IS NOT FINISHED. Current Medicare regulations provide access to a mobility device only if needed for use in the four walls of a beneficiary's home and not if he or she needs it to fully participate in work, school, and the community outside of the home. The regulations also only cover mobility devices for those beneficiaries who are "bed or chair confined," and not for those who can get out of bed but have limited mobility without a wheelchair, scooter or similar device.
We, with your help, are working to maintain momentum on this issue to ensure that Medicare's overly restrictive regulations are fixed.

PLEASE VISIT THE ITEM COALITION WEBSITE

TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS ISSUE. On this website, you can tell key policymakers to fix the Medicare regulations so that Americans with Medicare can have access to mobility devices they need to be healthy, independent and functional.

Thank you.
Henry Claypool

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