On October 8, 2024, the Co-Chairs of the House Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus, Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), sent a Congressional sign-on letter supported by 22 House Members to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, urging the Agency to open a National Coverage Analysis (NCA) for Medicare coverage of standing systems in power wheelchairs that has been pending before CMS for over four years. This crucial step aims to enhance the lives of individuals with mobility limitations by ensuring access to vital assistive technologies that can significantly improve their health outcomes, functional abilities, and quality of life.
The Independence Through Enhancement of Medicare and Medicaid (ITEM) Coalition, which is coordinated by Powers Law, and its member organizations are grateful to Representatives Dingell and Fitzpatrick, and the 20 Congressional cosigners, for their continued leadership and dedication in seeking Medicare coverage of standing systems in power wheelchairs.
Members of Congress who signed on in support of the Dingell/Fitzpatrick letter include U.S. Representatives Nanette Barragán; Julia Brownley; Sean Casten; Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick; Steve Cohen; Donald Davis; Suzan DelBene; Mark DeSaulnier; Dwight Evans; Maxwell Frost; Dan Goldman; Raul Grijalva; Hank Johnson; Daniel Meuser; Eleanor Norton; Mark Pocan; Eric Swalwell; Glenn Thompson; Dina Titus; and Nikema Williams.
The ITEM Coalition eagerly awaits the opening for public comment of this crucial coverage request impacting people with disabilities. Medicare coverage of seat elevation systems in power wheelchairs, which was announced in May 2023, has been warmly embraced by the Medicare population and has already significantly improved the lives of so many with mobility disabilities. While the ITEM Coalition commends the agency for addressing the seat elevation component of the original NCD Reconsideration Request, the omission of standing systems from this coverage determination falls short of fulfilling the comprehensive needs of certain patients. We are hopeful that this Congressional letter applies the appropriate amount of pressure needed to urge CMS to act by finally opening for public comment the NCA on standing systems in power wheelchairs.
To read the Congressional letter, click here: Dingell-Fitzpatrick Congressional Sign-On Letter to CMS on Standing Systems
ITEM Coalition’s press release is available here: ITEM Press Release re Dingell-Fitzpatrick Congressional Letter on Standing Systems
Powers Managing Partner, Peter Thomas, who works closely with the Healthcare and Government Relations & Public Policy teams at Powers, serves as lead counsel and Co-Coordinator, along with Powers’ Director of Government Relations, Michael Barnett, for the Independence Through Enhancement of Medicare and Medicaid (ITEM) Coalition, which has been instrumental in coordinating this effort. The ITEM coalition is comprised of over 100 national organizations and over the past several years has led a stakeholder effort to advocate for coverage, including preparing and drafting a comprehensive and extensively-sourced National Coverage Determination Reconsideration Request, coordinating support for national disability, rehabilitation, patient, clinician, and industry organizations, garnering support from Members of Congress and Administration officials, and more.