Tag: Legislation

WASHINGTON – A bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives to improve access to home infusion therapy for Medicare beneficiaries.  Introduced by Reps. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., Fred Upton, R-Mich., and Vern Buchannan, R-Fla., H.R. 5067, the Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act provides technical clarifications that would remove the physical presence requirement, ensuring payment regardless of whether a health care professional is present in...

EAST AMHERST, N.Y. – The California State Legislature on July 15 passed Assembly Bill 133, which includes language to improve and protect access to complex rehab technology for people with disabilities, according to NCART.  The bill will permanently exempt CRT from a long-standing Medi-Cal provider cut of 10% and will strengthen policies regarding the evaluation and delivery of complex rehab.  “We are extremely thankful to the California Legislature for passing this important...

WASHINGTON – The House of Representatives on Friday passed a bill that would extend the moratorium on the 2% Medicare sequestration cuts from March 31, 2021, to Dec. 31, 2021.  H.R. 1868, which passed 246-175, would also exempt the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan from the statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, eliminating an additional 4% Medicare cut that would amount to about $36 billion in 2022.  On March 15, Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine,...

EAST AMHERST, N.Y. – NCART and the CRT Remote Services Consortium on Jan. 4 submitted comments to the Telehealth Workgroups of the Senate and U.S. House of Representatives making the case for a permanent telehealth option for people with disabilities who require complex rehab technology. The comments are another step toward getting Congress to include in legislation the ability for CMS to “make permanent” the temporary COVID-19 policies that designate physical therapists and...

WASHINGTON - In a hard-fought win, industry stakeholders have succeeded in getting Congress to suspend competitive bidding pricing for accessories for complex manual wheelchairs.Both the House of Representatives and the Senate last week passed H.R. 1865, a year-end spending bill that includes language requiring CMS to stop applying bid pricing to these accessories for 18 months starting Jan. 1, 2020.“This really has been a four-year battle that involved getting resolutions for complex power...

WASHINGTON - Language suspending competitive bidding pricing for accessories for complex rehab manual wheelchairs has passed as part of year-end spending legislation in both the House of Representatives and Senate, NCART reports.The language, included in H.R. 1865, would require CMS to stop applying bid pricing to these accessories for 18 months starting Jan. 1, 2020.The House passed the bill 297-120; the Senate 71-23. The president is expected to sign it Friday.The language would also provide a...

WASHINGTON - NCART is calling on industry stakeholders to contact their members of Congress before their holiday break about supporting legislation to protect accessories for complex rehab manual wheelchairs. “Congress needs to hear from CRT advocates this week, as they are planning action on certain bills before they adjourn for the holidays,” wrote Don Clayback, executive director, in a bulletin. “We've been communicating with our congressional champions who are working behind...

You probably can feel it in the air. You're sensing that this is not just any ordinary day and you're right. Since it's Monday, we'll help explain that feeling. Today, Aug. 19, is the first day of National CRT Awareness Week. National CRT Awareness Week is being held to increase awareness of what Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) is, the important role it plays in the health and independence of children and adults with disabilities, and the need for Congress to pass pending legislation to protect CRT...

WASHINGTON - The Health Subcommittee of the Energy & Commerce Committee in the House of Representatives has approved a bill that would, among other things, stop CMS from applying bid pricing to complex rehab manual wheelchairs for one year.H.R. 2328, the “Reauthorizing and Extending America's Community Health Act,” would also permanently exclude complex rehab manual wheelchairs from the competitive bidding program.“It's a positive, as we now have two CRT irons in the fire, which...

UPDATE: The Ways and Means Committee has passed H.R. 3429, "HEARTS and Rural Relief Act," with a voice vote after a "mark up" session today.WASHINGTON - The Ways and Means Committee in the House of Representatives will hold a “mark up” session tomorrow for a bill that includes language from H.R. 2293, according to an NCART bulletin.H.R. 2293, introduced earlier this year by Reps. John Larson, D-Conn., and Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., would suspend competitive bidding pricing for accessories for...