CRT Update: Congressional Staffers Invited to July 15 Briefing

• By Laurie Watanabe
• Jun 28, 2013

As part of the ongoing effort to build support for U.S. House and Senate separate benefit bills, the Congressional Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus is inviting health legislative staffers to a lunch briefing on July 15.

The event is also supported by Rep. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wisc.), who introduced H.R. 942, the House bill that would officially define complex rehab technology and provide a separate Medicare benefit category for it. It's hosted by NCART and United Spinal Association.

In alerting NCART members to the upcoming event, Don Clayback, NCART executive director, said in a bulletin, "While we continue to make progress in our quest for a Medicare separate benefit category, we understand there are multiple issues requiring your time and resources.... We have a great educational opportunity coming up in Washington, D.C., on July 15 that we need your help with."

The briefing, which includes lunch, "is meant to allow the legislative staff of members of Congress to come and learn about CRT and our legislation," Clayback added. "The objective is to garner additional cosponsors for our bill. There will be presentations from CRT consumers, and we will have CRT seating & mobility equipment in the room so attendees can see what we are all about."

NCART is asking industry stakeholders to invite their senators' and representatives' staffers to the event, which will be held at noon on Monday, July 15, in the House Visitors Center Room 201.

The briefing is titled "Enabling Independence for People with Disabilities: The Importance of Complex Rehab Technology."

Clayback suggests e-mailing an invitation to staffers this week, then informing NCART (ncart.us) of the responses.

A Senate version of the separate benefit bill, S. 948, was introduced by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) in May.