We are louder in numbers!

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

Please read, scroll down, click on the site and submit the letter already written or tell your story. Let them know how you feel. Even if you do not use a wheelchair think about the person who does. As I always say, "We are louder in numbers"

Carol

AKA Cabbie

"Keep up the Pressure on CMS re Power Wheelchairs!"Henry Claypool of the Item Coalition<hclaypool@...> writes:During CMS's March 31, 2004 "Open Door Forum on theMedicare Power Mobility Benefit," an astonishing 657 peopleattempted to participate via conference call. However, asthe forum abruptly wrapped up that afternoon, not one ofthose 657 callers had been given the opportunity to speak,practically eliminating the consumer's voice from this"open" discussion. Furthermore, CMS has continued to holdthese forums in Baltimore, an inconvenient location for anyWashington-based advocate, but especially for thoseadvocates with disabilities. We need to let CMS know thatthe Medicare power mobility benefit effects more than themanufacturers and that everyone deserves a voice in thisdebate about independence! As we continue to fightfor better access to wheelchairs through the Medicareprogram we need you to take action. Please see the messagebelow.HELP US GET WASHINGTON TO FIX MEDICARE REGULATIONS ONWHEELCHAIRS, SCOOTERS, AND SIMILAR DEVICES!In December, 2003, as part of a new initiative to fightfraud in the Medicare wheelchair benefit, the Centers forMedicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issueda "Policy Clarification" that severely limited access towheelchairs and other mobility devices. After months offighting by individuals like you and organizations like theITEM Coalition, the Policy Clarification was retracted inMarch, 2004.HOWEVER, THE FIGHT IS NOT FINISHED. Current Medicareregulations provide access to a mobility device only ifneeded for use in the four walls of a beneficiary's homeand not if he or she needs it to fully participate in work,school, and the community outside of the home. Theregulations also only cover mobility devices for thosebeneficiaries who are "bed or chair confined," and not forthose who can get out of bed but have limited mobilitywithout a wheelchair, scooter or similar device.We, with your help, are working to maintain momentum onthis issue to ensure that Medicare's overly restrictiveregulations are fixed. PLEASE VISIT THE ITEM COALITIONWEBSITE AT http://www.itemcoalition.org/takeaction.html TOTAKE ACTION ON THIS ISSUE. On this website, you can tellkey policymakers to fix the Medicare regulations so thatAmericans with Medicare can have access to mobility devicesthey need to be healthy, independent and functional.Thank you.Henry Claypool# # #=====================JOIN AAPD! There's strength in numbers! Be a part of anational coalition of people with disabilities and joinAAPD today. http://www.aapd-dc.orgJFA ARCHIVES. All JFA postings from 1995 to present areavailable at:http://www.aapd-dc.org/JFA/JFAabout.htmlNOTE: 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 automaticallydeletes subscribers 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 Disabilitieshttp://www.aapd-dc.org/JFA/JFAabout.html===================================================================== 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