The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) plan to apply competitive bid pricing to Complex Rehab wheelchair accessories beginning January 1, 2016. Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) includes the individually configured wheelchairs and equipment many people with disabilities use, and this change will further already limited access to 171 essential accessory codes including seating systems, head rests, tilt and lift, and more.

If Congress does not act on this, payment rates could be reduced by 20% to 40% which would significantly decrease the availability of customized and essential wheelchair systems that many people with disabilities depend on. H.R. 3229 and S. 2196 have been introduced in Congress to provide a legislative technical correction to clarify that CMS cannot apply Medicare competitive bidding pricing to the accessories used with complex rehabilitation wheelchairs. This legislation would protect access for the many people who use this technology.

We encourage you to contact your US legislators to let them know how this change affects you or someone you care about. You can find your US legislators by clicking here.

For more information on this, visit www.protectmymonility.org.