Fwd: [RD] ACTION ALERT!! Contact CMS about Wheelchair Policy

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In a message dated 03/29/2004 7:08:25 PM Eastern Standard Time, tcarroll@... writes:

"ACTION ALERT!! Contact CMS about Wheelchair Policy"The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) hasissued and then retracted a policy that would limit accessto power wheelchairs for people with Medicare. But theexact status of the policy remains unclear. Since Medicaresets the industry standard for wheelchair coverage, anyactions taken by CMS will have a rippling effect.CMS is hosting an open forum on Wednesday, March 31, at2:00 PM Eastern for feedback regarding the power wheelchairbenefit. Below is information about what's been happeningwith respect to the policy and details about participatingby phone or in person.It is crucial that people with disabilities are representedin this open forum to help ensure that CMS makes itsretraction real and that people with disabilities get thecoverage they need. YoungJFA Moderator, AAPD================================ Nordheimer <jln@...> and Todd Main<tmain@...> write:We have learned the following:1. CMS has no plans to issue a public press release aboutthe retraction of the December 9th bulletin;2. According to the DMERCS and CMS nothing has changed."The coverage policy remains unchanged from when it wasoriginally put into place in 1985. CMS will continue topay claims as it has prior to and following the issuance ofthe December 9, 2003."It is clear that CMS issued the statement to the Hill aboutretracting the bulletin merely to take the pressure off.What concerns me is that folks on the Hill will see thatCMS retracted the December bulletin and think that CMSresponded to this issue and all is well. When clearly itis not! Nothing has changed, in fact things seem moreconfusing and convoluted then ever.That is why is it SO IMPORTANT that we get as many peopleas possible to participate in Wednesday's Open Door Forumon this issue. It's great to have people on the phone butit is ESSENTIAL that we have people in Baltimore. CMSneeds to see the faces as well as hear the voices of thosewho care about this issue and those who are impacted by it.We are glad to help arrange transportation. Please let usknow if you can participate and what we can do to help youdo so.Also please feel free to distribute this information. Weneed to alert as many people as possible and encourage themto participate in the Open Door Forum on Wednesday, March31st at 2:00pm in Baltimore. [information about the forumfrom CMS follows.]Thanks, and ToddIssue Dynamics Inc.919 18th Street, NW10th FloorWashington, DC 20006202-263-2936 (direct)202-263-2962 (fax)========================Update on the Medicare Power Wheelchair BenefitWhen: Wednesday, March 31 2004 from 2PM to 3:30PM (EST)In a continuing effort to communicate with beneficiaries,providers and suppliers about the criteria Medicare uses todetermine whether to pay for a power wheelchair for anindividual beneficiary, the Centers for Medicare & MedicaidServices will host a special power wheelchair Open DoorForum March 31, 2004, at 2pm.Previous Open Door Forums in the past several monthsdealing with this benefit have predominantly been ListeningSessions, focused on hearing comments and concerns from theprovider and supplier communities relative to the growth ofbenefit expenditures, the implementation of Medicarecoverage policy, the evolution of power wheelchair productsand the supplier industry, and the impact of the benefit onMedicare beneficiary lives. Additionally CMS has continuedto address these issues monthly during the regularlyscheduled Home Health, Hospice & DME Open Door Forum. CMShas benefited greatly from this discourse, and at thisupcoming forum will hold an open dialogue with interestedstakeholders.The forum will allow suppliers and beneficiaries to speakdirectly with CMS senior staff, as well as the medicaldirectors of the four Durable Medical Equipment Regionalrs (DMERCs) about Medicare coverage policy for powerwheelchairs.There are 2 ways to participate in this Open Door ForumListening Session, (1) by phone or (2) "In-person".1.) To participate by phone:Dial: 1-800-837-1935 & Reference Conference ID: 6334600Note: TTY Communications Relay Services are available forthe Hearing Impaired. For TTY services dial 7-1-1 or 1-800-855-2880 and for Internet Relay services click herehttp://www.consumer.att.com/relay/which/index.htmlA Relay Communications Assistant will help.2.) To participate "In-person" at the CMS Single Sitebuilding in Baltimore, an RSVP is required. To RSVP, sendyour name along with the name of your organization toHOMEHEALTH_HOSPICE_DMEODF-L.CO5.BALT5@.... Pleasearrive no later than 1:30 PM. Photo identification isrequired at security points.ADDRESS:CMS Single Site BuildingAuditorium7500 Security BoulevardBaltimore, MD 21244Map & Directions:http://cmsnet.cms.hhs.gov/hpages/ocsq/cmsdirections-north.htmENCORE: 1-800-642-1687; Conf. ID# 6334600 "Encore" is arecording of this call that can be accessed by dialing 1-800-642-1687 and entering the Conf. ID beginning 2 hoursafter the call has ended. The recording expires after 4full days.For Forum Schedule updates, Listserv registration andFrequently Asked Questions please visit our website atwww.cms.hhs.gov/opendoor/Thank you.# # #=====================JOIN AAPD! There's strength in numbers! 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