In response to the challenges that many individuals face when seeking access to complex rehabilitation technology (CRT), a new blog entry by UsersFirst vice president, Ann Eubank, LMSW, OTR/L, ATP, CAPS (pictured right), advocates the Bill HR 4378 and its implications for Americans seeking complex rehabilitation equipment.

The HR 4378: Ensuring Access to Quality Complex Rehabilitation Technology Act of 2012 was created to amend Medicare in order to provide coverage and payment for CRT items under the Medicare program. This complex equipment includes ultra lightweight wheelchairs and seating systems. Section 2 of the bill calls for the Medicare program to recognize the specialized nature of the CRT service delivery model, the required supporting processes and technology-related CRT services, the credentials and necessary competencies in providing suppliers and critical staff, and the related costs involved.  The second section of the bill also calls for a separate benefit category for CRT items to allow for unique coding, coverage, payment rules, and policies designed to address the unique needs of persons with disabilities and to acknowledge the extensive service component. To read the bill in its entirety, click here. 

In her recent blog, Eubank instructs readers to urge their congressman to pass the bill in order to facilitate unique coverage for more complex equipment. “If a wheelchair is to be a useful tool, to engage in the world, it must be dependable and customizable to your unique needs,” Eubank emphasizes. 

Read Eubank’s blog in its entirety here.

For more information about the HR 4378 bill and UsersFirst, visit http://www.usersfirst.org

Source: UsersFirst