DENVER – As head of Funding and Advocacy at Denver-based Cubby Beds, Alexis Ward has long tracked the progress of complex rehab technology (CRT). From her perspective, the technology began to rapidly improve from about 2010 until now.
“We saw some big changes, particularly with materials used in manual wheelchairs going from aluminum to titanium to carbon fiber,” she says. “We also saw progress in the seating space with cushions, backs, and all of the ways to address positioning and prevent pressure injuries. Ancillary equipment such as standing frames, gate trainers, and bed and bath equipment have also seen enhancements from a technological perspective.”
For HME providers who see the progress and want to “get into” CRT, what are the challenges? Medtrade Monday sat down with Alexis Ward (pictured below at Medtrade 2025), to talk about the latest technology, as well as the hurdles that must be jumped to succeed in the space.
Medtrade Monday: What has been the design philosophy for CRT over the last decade or so?
Alexis Ward: A lot of what we’re seeing is a real focus on human-centered design. Designers are asking; How easy is it for people to use CRT and integrate it into their daily lives? Is it fast and intuitive for them to set up? Will it meet their evolving clinical needs? The focus is not only on the medical clinical technology but also on how it can be a better user experience overall.
Medtrade Monday: Why has it become more human-centered?
Ward: The individuals who are on the provider and manufacturer side of the industry have always felt this to be a really human-centered technology. They have long understood that just because the insurance plans won’t pay for something does not mean it isn’t a necessary item.
Medtrade Monday: What’s an example of that kind of technology?
Ward: Elevation is a good example. Only in recent years has elevation become an approvable technology covered by payers such as Medicare, Medicaid, and those on the commercial side that are following suit. Getting to that point was a very lengthy process but it’s been provided and developed years before that type of payer acceptance. There was an understanding from those of us on the CRT side that creating, prescribing, and providing was needed from a clinical and functional perspective. We were able to demonstrate to the health insurance plans why it was important.
Medtrade Monday: How well do legislators in Congress understand the value of CRT in 2025?
Ward: There’s a better understanding than in past years. I remember when we first started stomping up to the Hill ages ago and a lot of people did not understand it. A lot of legislators really understand it and are good friends of the industry, meaning they will fight for something when we need it. We are having to cultivate new legislators to go and educate them, so I think we’re really in this transition period. Some of them understand it well, and with others we need to start building relationships.
Medtrade Monday: Any big CRT shifts on the horizon?
Ward: Manufacturers are focusing more on their service aspect, in addition to the product output. Much like on the provider side for the CRT space, you’ll start to see the service aspect be extremely important—and that’s something that can set manufacturers apart.
I do think we’re going to start seeing some rapid technological progress. We’re looking at improving how we capture data to help prove the return on investment, cost savings, and patient outcomes. We want payers to be able to understand why this newer technology is beneficial. We will start to see just how things are being integrated to capture the data, prove the outcomes, and really show the whole picture.
Medtrade Monday: What would you say to HME providers who are interested in offering CRT?
Ward: I would absolutely tell them to not be discouraged. It can be very daunting. There are a lot of service aspects. There are a lot of payer-related hoops that you have to jump through at times. There are coverage policies that really go beyond the standard DME side. If providers are too worried about how daunting it could be to enter the full scale of CRT, I would recommend that they see if there’s one product within the CRT space that might be a great benefit to their existing customer base. Explore that one product category type and figure out how to integrate it into your existing process. That is one way to do it without a whole lot of change and make that aspect successful.
