CRT stakeholders strategize to advance new tech

YARMOUTH, Maine – Complex rehab technology stakeholders in a recent webcast outlined their priorities for 2025, including getting a bill passed that would improve access to high-tech ultralightweight manual wheelchairs. 

Previous versions of the bill nearly passed in late 2024, but there was “a hiccup,” said Wayne Grau, executive director of NCART, which hosted the webcast with U.S. Rehab. 

“We couldn’t get it passed because one senator decided he wanted to put a hold on that, but I think we’ve gotten him to a good place now,” he said. “So, we’re really looking forward to this incredible bill coming through so consumers can choose the chair that works best for them.” 

There are bills in both the House of Representatives and Senate, H.R. 1703 and S. 247, that would create two new HCPCS codes for the base of an ultralight manual wheelchair – one code for a base with titanium or carbon fiber, and one for a base without these specialized materials – and would allow for upgrading within a code. 

Another area where stakeholders want to see movement this year: power standing systems. Stakeholders, led by the ITEM Coalition, are still waiting for CMS to open a National Coverage Analysis for the technology. 

Play the long game 

Stakeholders are also playing the long game when it comes to working with CMS to update, in some cases, “very antiquated” coding for new technology, including the munevo DRIVE, smart glasses that allow users to control their wheelchairs, said Julie Piriano, senior director of payer relations and regulatory affairs for NCART. 

“They went to the alphanumeric coding work group seeking a dedicated code, because it truly is remarkable and different, and yet CMS assigned it the head array code,” she said. “And the reason they did that is because you move your head five degrees to activate it; therefore, it’s a head control system. We’re not giving up on trying to fix those challenges.” 

Round it out 

Stakeholders are also working in multiples states to combat or influence right-to-repair bills, which they say can have the unintended consequence of making repairs and maintenance harder, not easier, to access. 

“Consumers want to get their chairs fixed as fast as possible; so do we,” Grau said. “However, we are bound into a system that wasn’t created by consumers or us. It was created by regulators and insurance companies. We are bound to follow those rules. We know the biggest time issue in repairs is prior authorizations. Four states have eliminated it and, guess what, times went down.” 

Press some flesh 

Stakeholders also announced during the webinar that NCART and U.S. Rehab will once again partner on an in-person lobbying day in September. Last year, the event drew 38 attendees from 27 companies who had appointments with 73 offices, said Tyler Mahncke, senior vice president of clinical mobility and accessibility for VGM & Associates 

“More to come on that – keep your eye out for further emails and communications,” he said. “We’d love to double our attendance. We can move the needle in Washington, D.C.”