As we shared, on August 15 CMS announced the opening of a 30-day comment period relating to the ITEM Coalition request for Medicare coverage of power seat elevation systems and power standing systems used with complex power wheelchairs (read CMS announcement here). We have been anxiously awaiting this public comment period and need to encourage submitted comments from across the CRT Community by the September 14 deadline.

The comment period closes on September 14 and only applies to power seat elevation. Now is the time for all CRT advocates to submit their comments supporting the request for Medicare coverage. To help with that we have two immediate requests:

1.) Develop and send your own comments to CMS - The ITEM Coalition has created a dedicated website at www.rise4access.org. This site provides educational information, suggested talking points, and the link to submit individual and organizational comments to CMS. In your comments stress that this equipment is not “a convenience item”, rather it is medical equipment that provides medical and functional benefits and is long overdue for Medicare coverage.

2.) Widely share this request - Please share this information with other individuals and organizations asking them to submit their comments too.

Unfortunately, CMS announced it is “delaying” its review of Medicare coverage for power standing systems to a later date. We are very disappointed with this delay and are actively working with the ITEM Coalition and our Congressional supporters to push CMS to open the public comment period for this technology as soon as possible so that review can continue.

The 2022 Virtual CRT Congressional Fly-In, hosted jointly by NCART and NRRTS, is just a few weeks away and we need the CRT community fully engaged.

This annual event is THE opportunity for Members of Congress and staff to hear from their constituents who use, prescribe, manufacture, or supply CRT. These policy influencers need to be personally informed of the CRT issues at hand and asked to implement the fixes necessary to protect access for individuals with disabilities. That’s what this program is all about.

All Congressional meetings are being held virtually using Zoom video conferencing, so participants will have the opportunity to deliver important CRT access messages to their Members without leaving their homes or offices. To ensure your meetings will be informative and effective, we will be holding a September 7 Advanced Preparation Webinar and supplying documents you can use.

Registration is FREE but closes on September 7. Click the button below to learn more and register today!

CMS recently announced a request for information (RFI) regarding various aspects of the Medicare Advantage (MA) program. The request asks questions including how to advance health equity through policy, how plans can align on data for utilization management to reduce provider burden, what information gaps are currently present, and how CMS can promote collaborations between MA plans and various stakeholder groups. You can access the RFI here.

Comments must be submitted by August 31. An NCART workgroup is developing CRT-specific recommendations related to improving access to CRT under these programs. These recommendations include stronger oversight of MA plans, increasing process efficiency, and establishing reporting requirements to measure and report network performance.  

Thanks once again to everyone who took the time to promote a better understanding of CRT and to celebrate the CRT community during CRT Awareness Week. The stories, videos, podcasts, panel discussions, and photos shared emphasized why access to this unique equipment is so important. Click the links below to review some of the great information circulated throughout that week!

The combined voices of the CRT community calling out for change have always been and will continue to be the driving force behind getting the legislative and regulatory actions needed to establish and protect access to CRT for people with disabilities. We are grateful for the thousands of individuals across the country who are dedicated to educating and advocating for CRT access. With everyone working together, we can continue to make progress!

-Alliance Rehab and Medical: CRT Teamwork

-DREDF: Campaign to Lift Medicare's "In the Home" Restriction

-Quantum Rehab: Support for Seat Elevation Technology

-Rifton: Advocacy Together

As a part of CRT Awareness Week, Talk Rehab provided a five-day podcast series highlighting CRT advocacy from the perspective of consumers, clinicians, providers, manufacturers, and industry associations.

Special thanks go to our 2022 Virtual CRT Fly-In Premier sponsors, who supported making this series possible, and to the podcast guests who shared their experiences.

To listen to each of the podcasts, click below!

Day 1: Jenny Siegle

Day 2: Jean Minkel PT, ATP

Day 3: Katie Stevens, CEO Reliable Medical

Day 4: Tom Borcherding, Senior VP Business Development, LUCI

Day 5: CRT Industry Panel (Weesie Walker, Wayne Grau, Greg Packer, Gerry Dickerson)

Alaska –NCART met with CRT providers in the state and subsequently requested an August meeting with the Department to discuss policies and processes that are negatively impacting CRT access; additional outreach is being conducted.

Illinois – NCART continues to work with provider members to collect and summarize analyses at the request of the Department; data collection is ongoing.

Nevada – NCART is coordinating Department and provider discussions regarding challenges impacting access to care; NCART is summarizing all known provider concerns and related responses to date; an NCART meeting with the Department has been requested to discuss the summary and seek solutions for ongoing concerns.

Ohio – NCART and OAMES continue to coordinate discussions between CRT providers and the Department regarding coding and reimbursement for ancillary CRT items; additional data was compiled and presented to the Department; additional follow-up is being conducted.

Utah – NCART workgroup has been meeting with CRT providers and with the Department regarding proposed State Plan Amendment language that would impact CRT fee schedule items; NCART presented FY 2024 budget recommendations to the Medical Care Advisory Committee and additional information and analysis have been provided for Department review; outreach to state legislators is being planned.

You can view the recording of the presentation below and download a copy of the handout here. Recordings from earlier webinars can be found here.

After a two-year hiatus, UC Santa Barbara has reopened their junior wheelchair sports camp and the campers couldn't be happier. The five-day camp, sponsored by Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital, provides recreational and competitive opportunities like basketball, rugby, tennis, swimming, hand cycling, and wall climbing to youth athletes ages 6-21 with physical disabilities. Learn more about the program by watching the video below or visit Cottage Health's informational website here.