Fwd: [RD] ACTION ALERT! Restore Access to Wheelchairs

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In a message dated 03/12/2004 6:51:17 PM Eastern Standard Time, tcarroll@... writes:

"ACTION ALERT! Restore Access to Wheelchairs"> From the Independence Through Enhancement of Medicare andMedicaid Coalition:TAKE ACTIONRESTORE ACCESS TO WHEELCHAIRS FOR SENIORS AND PEOPLE WITHDISABILITIES, MAKE CMS RESCIND ITS POLICY CLARIFICATIONIn a December bureaucratic reaction to fraud in the powerwheelchair industry, the Centers for Medicare and MedicaidServices (CMS) issued a new policy clarification thatseverely limits access to wheelchairs.The policy instructs the Durable Medical Equipment Regionalrs (DMERCs) that if a "patient is able to walk eitherwithout any assistance or with the assistance of anambulatory aid, such as a walker," the patient isconsidered ambulatory and is not entitled to coverage of apower mobility device - or even a manual wheelchair. Thisdecision does nothing to prevent fraud. What it does isthreaten the access of beneficiaries with legitimatemobility needs to these essential technologies.We need you to help make this happen!! In order to createchange we need to:1. Send letters to the decision makers; and2. Identify people who have had problems obtaining access to power and manual wheelchairs.We urge you go to the ITEM Coalition Web site --http://www.itemcoalition.org/takeaction.html -- to send aletter to HHS Secretary Tommy , Acting CMSAdministrator Dennis and your Members of Congresstelling them that this policy is wrong and must berescinded. We need to raise our voices and demand that ournation's seniors and people with disabilities who needpower and manual wheelchairs to be healthy, independent andfully functional continue to have access to these importantmobility devices.In addition, we need to demonstrate the problem by findingindividuals - you or people you know - who have haddifficulty obtaining manual and power wheelchairs. Wewelcome stories that are not directly related to the policychange, including those that help people understand thebarriers presented by the "in the home" limitation underMedicare coverage policy.Please submit your story to info@.... If youare willing to share your story as part of this effort'spublic education campaign, please include contactinformation, including your name and a phone number wherewe may reach you.# # #=====================All JFA postings from 1995 to present are available at:www.aapd-dc.org/JFA/JFAabout.html=====================NOTE: Some Internet Providers (including AOL, Earthlink andJuno) may see JFA postings as spam because of the largevolume of JFA mail recipients and fail to deliver theposting. If this happens, the JFA system may automaticallyunsubscribe some email addresses. Should you stop receivingJFA Alerts, please subscribe to JFA again as per theinstructions at http://www.aapd-dc.org/JFA/JFAsubscribing.htmlYou may also need to contact your service provider to findout how to prevent JFA postings from being recognized asspam.PLEASE Empty your email inbox regularly. JFA deletessubscribers that are over their message quota.If you stop using an account please unsubscribe that oldaccount.With hundreds of inbound emails and thousands of outboundemails daily. JFA can not respond to every message.We thank you for your understanding and continuedoutstanding advocacy!=====================JUSTICE FOR ALL -- A Service of theAmerican Association of People with Disabilitieswww.aapd-dc.org/JFA/JFAabout.htmlThere's strength in numbers! Be a part of a nationalcoalition of people with disabilities and join AAPD today.www.aapd-dc.org===================================================================== Justice-For-All FREE Subscriptions To subscribe or unsubscribe, send mail to majordomo@... with one or the other in the body of your message: subscribe justice unsubscribe justice