Tag: legislation

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...

Tarentum, Pa.-based Blackburn's hosted U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, D-Pa., for a roundtable discussion with company executives, University of Pittsburgh researchers and other industry stakeholders, according to a local newspaper. The focus of the discussion: two bills, one that would stop competitive bidding pricing for accessories for complex rehab manual wheelchairs (H.R. 2293) and one that would create a separate benefit category for complex rehab (H.R. 2408). Lamb said the discussion was valuable, especially...

WASHINGTON - Sens. Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, on April 29 introduced a bill to provide relief for complex rehab wheelchairs and accessories, according to NCART.S. 1223 would exempt complex rehab manual and power wheelchairs and any wheelchair accessory, cushion or back when furnished in connection with a wheelchair from Medicare competitive bidding pricing. Casey and Portman introduced a similar bill in the last congressional session.Earlier in April, Reps. John Larson, D-Conn., and...

WASHINGTON - A bill that would suspend competitive bidding pricing for accessories for complex rehab manual wheelchairs for 18 months is back on the books in the House of Representatives.Reps. John Larson, D-Conn., and Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., introduced H.R. 2293, which would also permanently exempt complex rehab manual wheelchairs from the bid program, on April 12, supported by 21 of their colleagues.“Because a bill has been introduced earlier in the year and because a similar bill passed by voice...