Senators push CMS to cover standing systems
By HME News Staff
Updated 9:48 AM CDT, Mon August 12, 2024
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Bob Casey, D-Iowa, Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., are calling on CMS to extend Medicare coverage to standing systems embedded in power wheelchairs. The Aug. 9 bi-partisan letter comes after the senators successfully pushed the agency to extend Medicare coverage to seated elevation systems last year. “These [standing] systems enable users to achieve a standing position, which can greatly enhance their independence, improve metabolic functions, reduce the risk of secondary complications, such as pressure sores and osteoporosis, and improve their overall physical and mental well-being,” the senators wrote. “The absence of Medicare coverage for these systems leaves many beneficiaries without access to critical technology that can significantly improve their health outcomes and quality of life.” Currently, Medicare beneficiaries with disabilities are forced to pay out of pocket for standing systems. The senators are calling on CMS to open a national coverage analysis for standing systems in Group 3 power wheelchairs to align with its commitment to provide equitable access to vital rehab technology, as well as advance the development of rehab technology for Medicare beneficiaries. In a previous letter in October 2021, the senators highlighted the need for CMS to consider coverage for both seat elevation and standing systems. Read the Aug. 9 letter here.
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