CMS Comment Period for Seat Elevation Draws Robust Response

• By Laurie Watanabe
• Oct 06, 2022

By the time the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) public comment period for power seat elevation ended on Sept. 14, more than 3,500 comments had been submitted, according to NCART.

In its Sept. 30 bulletin, NCART said the high number of comments “sends a strong message to CMS regarding the need to establish coverage for this important technology.”

NCART’s submitted comments can be viewed HERE.

NCART also provided a timeline for the next phases, as CMS considers Medicare coverage for seat elevation on complex power wheelchairs.

The agency will issue a proposed decision memo in February 2023, NCART said, which will be accompanied by another 30-day public comment period. In May 2023, CMS is expected to issue a final coverage decision.

NCART added that it “will also continue to engage with the ITEM [Coalition] and our Congressional supporters to push CMS to open the public comment period regarding Medicare coverage for power standing systems as soon as possible and commence their review of these systems.”

The initial industry request for reconsideration of Medicare coverage included both power seat elevation and power standing for complex power wheelchairs. But in announcing the opening of the public comment period for seat elevation in August, CMS declined to do the same for power standing, saying, “The benefit category and coverage of standing systems will be considered at a later date.” CMS did not provide a timeline.