Tag: Accessories
SleepRes hires former Philips engineer
July 22, 2022HME News Staff
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - SleepRes, developer of the V̇-Com, has announced Bernard Hete, PhD, as its chief technology officer to oversee future research and development. He was a senior engineer at Philips Respironics for 30 years. “Bernie [Dr. Hete] was always the smartest guy in the room, who always kept our ideas at Respironics to the laws of physics,” said Eugene Scarberry, a retired senior engineer at Philips who got the first FDA approval for CPAP back in 1985. “I have known Bernie...
NCART grows membership
January 4, 2022HME News Staff
EAST AMHERST, N.Y. – NCART says it grew its membership by nearly 20% in 2021. Two of the organization’s newest members include Alpine Home Medical, a provider with 10 locations in Utah and Idaho; and Matia Robotics, a manufacturer of “innovative solutions” for individuals with disabilities. “Thank you to both organizations for adding their support to CRT advocacy work,” the organization stated in a bulletin. “We couldn’t be prouder to be working alongside...
CMS exempts accessories from bid pricing – for good
July 29, 2021HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – CMS in a final rule issued today says it will permanently stop applying competitive bidding pricing to accessories for complex rehab manual wheelchairs, NCART has reported.
In late June, CMS agreed to extend an 18-month pause on applying bid pricing to these accessories for an additional 90 days, until Oct. 1., to give the agency more time to review the industry’s request.
“We are sincerely grateful to CMS for making today’s policy decision and...
Members of Congress press CMS on accessories
June 22, 2021HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – A letter signed by 19 members of Congress was sent to CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure late on Monday asking her to stop the Medicare payment cuts to accessories for complex rehab manual wheelchairs that are set to go into effect July 1.
The letter, circulated by Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., was signed by 18 members of the House of Representatives and Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa.
“CMS has been reviewing the issues and our communication with them has been...
NCART: ‘The time has come’
June 7, 2021HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – NCART has updated www.protectmymobility.org to allow advocates to send a pre-written email to their members of Congress asking them to permanently exempt accessories for complex rehab manual wheelchairs from competitive bidding pricing. “As we have been sharing, June 30 marks the end of the 18-month suspension preventing Medicare from inappropriately applying competitive bid program rates to CRT manual wheelchair accessories,” NCART stated in a bulletin. “The...
Push for manual accessories intensifies
May 28, 2021Liz Beaulieu, Editor
WASHINGTON – Stakeholders have been working hard to get accessories for complex rehab manual wheelchairs permanently exempted from competitive bidding pricing for more than a year, but with Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure finally in place at CMS, it’s go time, they say.
These accessories have been temporarily exempted from bid pricing only until July 1.
“This has been anticipated, this appointment, and not having that leadership position filled at the agency has...
Complex rehab letter draws support from 41 representatives
September 29, 2020HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - Forty one members of the House of Representatives have signed a congressional letter urging CMS to permanently stop applying competitive bidding pricing to accessories for complex rehab manual wheelchairs. Reps. John Larson, D-Conn., and Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., began circulating the letter in August. “Our sincere thanks goes to Reps. Larson and Zeldin for their continued leadership in protecting access to CRT for people with disabilities and to their 39 colleagues,” wrote Don...
Champions extend deadline for letter on accessories
September 1, 2020HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - Reps. John Larson, D-Conn., and Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., have extended the deadline for their sign-on letter asking CMS to permanently exempt accessories for complex rehab manual wheelchairs from competitive bidding pricing to Sept. 18. “They understand it's been challenging to contact offices during the August recess and want to give us more time to continue our outreach to other representatives,” NCART stated in a bulletin. The deadline was previously Aug. 31. For the current...
Awareness week spotlights complex rehab, accessories
August 19, 2020HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - More than 65 organizations and thousands of individuals participated in National CRT Awareness Week Aug. 10-14.
Their top goal for the week: To get their members of the House of Representatives to sign a letter asking CMS to permanently exempt accessories for complex rehab manual wheelchairs from competitive bidding pricing.
“Getting as many House members to as we can to sign on to this congressional letter is especially important,” said Don Clayback, executive director...
Accessories: Time to follow up, stakeholders say
July 31, 2020Liz Beaulieu, Editor
WASHINGTON - Complex rehab stakeholders are working with their champions in Congress to craft a letter asking CMS to permanently change its payment policy on accessories for complex rehab manual wheelchairs. That letter may take the form of a “Dear Colleague” letter requiring signatures, said Don Clayback during a recent webcast, so stay tuned. “We're asking CMS to change the policy so it's consistent with (accessories for complex rehab power wheelchairs),” said Clayback,...