AAH council spells it out

WASHINGTON - AAHomecare's Complex Rehab and Mobility Council this month published a short white paper that outlines the differences between complex rehab and standard mobility products in grids and photos.

While industry stakeholders have published other materials highlighting the specialized nature of complex rehab, this three-page paper also highlights the benefits of standard mobility, says Chairwoman Nancy Froslie.

“We wanted to show the importance of both,” said Froslie, an ATP and the rehab manager at Sanford HealthCare Accessories in Jamestown, N.D. “We didn't want it to come off that one was more important than the other. Different patients have different needs.”

The main element of the paper is a grid that outlines the patient population, length of need, configuration, positioning capacity and pressure management, and prescribing and fitting process for four categories of products: standard manual wheelchairs, CRT manual wheelchairs, standard power wheelchairs and CRT power wheelchairs.

The council envisions providers using the paper to, among other things, explain why accessories for complex rehab manual wheelchairs should be exempt from competitive bidding. The paper includes a grid with photos of both basic and complex accessories.

“Being able to see the differences between the two in a picture—to me, that's really important,” Froslie said. “It's representative of how the products are used.”

The council also envisions providers using the paper to advocate for a separate benefit for complex rehab, and for fair coverage and reimbursement with non-Medicare payers.

“We wanted something that, even though we're targeting Medicare, was broad enough to be a tool for other payers,” said Ashley Plauche, manager of government affairs for AAHomecare. “It could even be used in a clinical setting or with patients to help them better understand what their options are.”