AAHomecare Strives to Protect Patient Access to Mobility Items and Services
Homecare Providers and Consumer Advocates Urge Congress to Stop Ineffective Medicare Payment Review Process for Mobility Equipment
If lawmakers want senior citizens and people living with disabilities in their states and districts to have access to power wheelchairs through Medicare, Congress must stop the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) from implementing a pre-payment review project that will undoubtedly cause providers to go out of business and severely limit the ability of Medicare patients to receive the medical equipment prescribed by their physicians. Read more
Congress Must Stop Misguided Power Mobility Demonstration Project Before Patients Are Harmed
On November 15, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the establishment of an unprecedented three-year demonstration project that will require “prepayment review” for all power mobility claims submitted to Medicare in seven States (CA, FL, IL, NY, TX, MI and NC) beginning on January 1, 2012 (six weeks from the initial announcement). Read more
Ensuring Power Mobility is Available for People Living with Disabilities
The federal government’s tracking system for power wheelchairs provided to Medicare beneficiaries hasn’t been adjusted to account for a new procurement policy implemented last January. Thus, the utilization numbers erroneously show a far higher number of power wheelchairs provided than were actually delivered to Medicare patients. Read more
Power Mobility Helps Ms. Wheelchair America Shine
Most toddlers go from strollers to taking their first steps, but Josie Badger had a more complicated transition. Now 27, Badger recalls that she went from a stroller to her first wheelchair, beginning a lifelong dependence on medical equipment to provide her mobility. Read more
State of the Medicare Mobility Benefit
The State of the Medicare Mobility Benefit has never been more troubling, and perplexing. For much of the last decade, Congress and regulators implemented policies and regulations limiting the effectiveness of the Medicare benefit that is used by senior citizens and people living with disabilities to obtain power wheelchairs prescribed by their physicians. But a series of changes ranging from the so-called competitive bidding program to elimination of the first-month purchase option to excessive audits and denial of reimbursement claims are combining to place serious doubt on whether Medicare beneficiaries can continue to receive medically required power mobility equipment that enhances their quality of life and ultimately saves taxpayer dollars. Read more
“Competitive” Bidding Program is Misguided, Mislabeled
The so-called competitive bidding program will be catastrophic for Medicare patients and providers. It is terrible public policy that actually reduces competition rather than increasing it. The primary selection criteria is price, creating a “race to the bottom” scenario that will impair both quality of care and access to medical equipment for millions of Medicare patients. This process will eliminate nine out of every 10 providers in each region that it is implemented. Read more
More Mobility Matters Stories:
- The Realities of Wheelchairs and Medicare (September 16, 2011)
- Misleading OIG Report Fails to Blame Flawed CMS Documentation Process (July 13, 2011)
- For Texas Mother of Three, a Power Wheelchair Enables Her to Work, Raise a Family and Enjoy Independence: Mobility Matters (June 9, 2011)
- Power Wheelchairs Keep Medicare Beneficiaries out of Nursing Homes, While Reducing Government Costs and Providing More Freedom and Independence
- HME Provider Talks Mobility with Dr. Glen House on Living with and Beyond Disability: Part 1 | Part 2 (May 23, 2011)
- Providers Say New Policies Hurt Medicare Patients (April 11, 2011)
- Frustrated Mobility Providers Ask White House to Address Gross Mismanagement of Mobility Benefit (February 10, 2011)
- Proposal to Create a Separate Benefit Category for Complex Rehab Technology (January 2011)
- Medicare Wheelchair Policy Will Hurt Access to Care in Rural Areas (December 3, 2010)
- Congress Urged to Delay New Medicare Rental Policy (November 9, 2010)
- Power Wheelchairs Change the Life of Medicare Patients (November 1, 2010)
- A Budget-Neutral Change Will Ensure Access to Power Wheelchairs (September 22, 2010)
- Rental Policy Threatens Access to Power Mobility (August 31, 2010)
- Renowned Clinician Critiques Documentation Process (August 10, 2010)
- Physician Outraged By CMS Documentation Policy (July 16, 2010)
- Seniors and People with Disabilities Will Pay Steep Price for Medicare’s “Competitive” Bidding Program for Home Medical Equipment (July 1, 2010)
- Patient Advocate Cites Benefits of Power Mobility (June 8, 2010)
- Power Wheelchair from Medicare Helps Save Elderly Alabama Woman from Raging Fire that Destroyed Her Home of 40 years (June 4, 2010)
- Government Policies Ignore Aging-At-Home Concept (May 24, 2010)
- GAO Confirms Payment Delays to Medical Equipment Providers; Questions Arise as to Whether CMS Can Implement Reforms (May 18, 2010)
- Mobility Matters - Power Mobility: Bringing Joy to Medicare Patients (May 6, 2010)
- Medicare Denies Wheelchair Claim for Elderly Amputee (April 22, 2010)
- Faulty OIG Pricing Analysis is Misleading Congress (March 31, 2010)
Regulatory Issues
AAHomecare Makes Recommendations to Physicians on Medicare Documentation Requirements
AAHomecare has been working with both Congress and CMS to improve the documentation requirements and claims-review process to ensure that the Medicare program is paying appropriately for the equipment that beneficiaries need to remain safe and independent in their homes and communities.
Withdraw Repair Limits on Patients’ Wheelchairs
In April, 2009, Medicare instituted a new policy that limits coverage of wheelchair repair labor and payment. These changes create arbitrary and unrealistic caps on labor reimbursements, and will result in reduced quality of care for patients.
These changes will force providers to curtail repairs and service for wheelchairs, imperiling the quality of care for patients.
Medicare severely underestimates the time involved in making repairs.
This policy is another example of Medicare’s failure to recognize the necessary services required to maintain patients’ wheelchairs, and it threatens patients’ mobility, health, and independence.
AAHomecare Criticizes CMS’ Broad Documentation Requirements and Unreasonable Paperwork Burden
The Association appreciates the need for CMS to collect information that supports the medical necessity for a power mobility device. CMS’ rule, however, does not tell physicians what information will support medical necessity. Documentation standards need to be objective, measurable and correlate to the functional level of the patient. Also, CMS underestimates the paperwork burden imposed by the rule.
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