Powers Principal Peter Thomas will moderate a Capitol Hill briefing today that will examine Medicare’s process for establishing local coverage policy for life-saving and life-enhancing technologies and health care services.
AdvaMed, the Amputee Coalition, and the College of American Pathologists will hold the briefing titled, “Improving Patient Access through a Modernized Medicare Coverage Process,” today, Tuesday, Oct. 31 in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill.
The briefing will address Medicare’s current process for developing local coverage policy and how Medicare Administrative Contractors and their coverage decisions impact beneficiary access to medical technology and services. The briefing will also cover the “pain points” in the current process and what improvements are necessary to ensure greater transparency and stakeholder participation.
Speakers will include Dr. Stephen Black-Schaffer, Associate Chief & Training Program Director at Massachusetts General Hospital; LuAnn Kleemeyer, a patient living with limb loss from Illinois; Dr. Terrence Sheehan, Amputee Coalition Medical Director; and Marjorie Kanof, a Principal at Health Policy Alternatives.
Peter will moderate the briefing on behalf of the Independence Through Enhancement of Medicare and Medicaid (ITEM) Coalition. The ITEM coalition is a group of national disability organizations, aging organizations, consumer groups, voluntary health associations, and non-profit provider associations working together to address inadequate access to assistive devices, technologies, and related services.
As a principal at Powers, Peter has helped to coordinate multiple coalitions focused on health and disability advocacy, rehabilitation research policy and funding, access to rehabilitation services and devices, and coverage and coding of DMEPOS for people with disabilities. He has served as the lead coordinator of the ITEM Coalition since 2003 and works closely with Leif Brierley, the firm’s Manager of Government Relations, to facilitate the coalition’s goals.
Peter has been a legislative and regulatory advocate for more than 20 years on behalf of health care and post-acute care providers as well as consumers with injuries, illnesses, disabilities and chronic conditions. He represents clients including orthotic and prosthetic providers, rehabilitation hospitals, physiatrists, recreational therapists, and brain injury providers and consumers before Congress and federal agencies.
The briefing will be held 12 to 1:30 p.m. EST, Tuesday, Oct. 31 in Room 2044 at the Rayburn House Office Building, located at 45 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20515. Lunch will be provided. All are invited to attend.