Comments Sought for CMS Wheelchair Coverage Policy

"Comments Sought for CMS Wheelchair Coverage Policy"

>From the ITEM Coalition, http://www.itemcoalition.org:

On Wednesday, December 15, 2004, the Centers for Medicare 
and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it has decided 
to open a National Coverage Determination (NCD) process for 
Medicare's wheelchair benefit. (CMS' press release 
regarding this initiative is on the CMS website, 
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/media/press/release.asp?Counter=1286) 
The following day, CMS released the Interagency Wheelchair 
Work Group's (IWWG) recommended changes to Medicare's 
wheelchair benefit. (The recommendations can be found at 
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/mcd/viewtrackingsheet.asp?id=143)
 
The opening of the NCD process allows for a 30-day comment 
period, and the agency is specifically interested in 
comments on the IWWG's recommendations. The agency has 6 
months to prepare a draft document or "decision 
memorandum." After that is released, there will be another 
30-day comment period and the agency then has 60 days to 
release a final NCD. 
 
CMS' announcement to begin the NCD process signals a more 
formal, time-limited procedure in which it will review 
Medicare's wheelchair coverage policy. But it also signals 
an additional delay in CMS' handling of this issue. People 
invested in this issue, and specifically those in 
attendance at the June 14th CMS Open Door forum were given 
the impression that CMS would be releasing its own draft 
guidance in early October. 

The ITEM Coalition feels the IWWG's recommendations are 
very promising in that they specifically seek to replace 
the "bed or chair confined" standard with functionally-
based criteria. Unfortunately though, the 
recommendations fail to suggest changes in the agency's 
interpretation of the "in the home" restriction. 

The "in the home" restriction severely impedes the health 
and independence of people with disabilities as it 
essentially confines people to the four walls of their 
homes and does not take into account the need for 
beneficiaries to access their communities. The ITEM 
Coalition has circulated a press release regarding CMS' 
recent announcement and it can be found on the ITEM 
Coalition's website, http://www.itemcoalition.org/.

The ITEM Coalition strongly encourages all advocates to 
submit comments to CMS regarding the IWWG's recommendations 
and the agency's failure to address the "in the home" 
restriction. Comments can be submitted at the internet 
address below.  Please contact the ITEM Coalition at 202- 
349-4260 with any questions or visit their website at 
http://www.itemcoalition.org. 

To submit comments visit:
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/mcd/viewnca.asp?from=basket&nca_id=143&viewAMA=N&basket=nca%3A00274N%3A143%3AMobility+Assistance+Devices%3APending%3ANew

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