WASHINGTON, D.C. – Mobility stakeholders are having in-person meetings with House and Senate offices on Sept 10 to advocate for improved consumer access to titanium and carbon fiber wheelchairs. CRT (see recent Medtrade CRT news) and mobility suppliers who are not coming to Capitol Hill can bolster these efforts by reaching out to their representatives in the House in support of current legislation on the issue.

H.R. 5371, the “Choices for Increased Mobility Act”, would restore access to titanium and carbon fiber wheelchairs for Medicare beneficiaries, and would also improve access for individuals covered under plans that follow Medicare policy and coding. An amended version of H.R. 5371 which instructs CMS to establish new HCPCS codes for ultralight manual wheelchairs, including a separate code for ones with titanium or carbon fiber, was approved by the House Energy & Commerce Committee in December 2023.

Mobility and CRT suppliers are encouraged to reach out to their Representative’s healthcare staffers to ask for support in moving H.R. 5371 forward before the end of this Congressional session. You can find additional guidance on messaging and reaching out to Capitol Hill here. Contact Gordon Barnes at [email protected] for contact info for House healthcare staff.

Your grassroots outreach will be a force multiplier for the upcoming fly-in and can make the difference in moving this legislation forward this year!  Learn more about the fly-in here.

Senate Carbon/Titanium Bill Expected Soon
Similar Senate legislation is currently being drafted. We will keep you updated on timing for introduction and when you can contact your Senators to ask that they co-sponsor the measure.