NCART, U.S. Rehab to Host Sept. 24 Legislative Fly-In
The National Coalition for Assistive & Rehab Technology (NCART) and U.S. Rehab are cohosting a Sept. 24 legislative day in Washington, D.C.
The in-person event will be “focusing on educating members of Congress about the current economic issues challenging NCART members as they focus on providing equipment to consumers,” NCART said in its July 31 newsletter.
A major talking point will be H.R. 5371, a bill to provide Medicare beneficiaries the option of paying out of pocket to upgrade to a titanium or carbon fiber frame for their ultralightweight wheelchairs.
NCART: Medicare FFS Currently Paying Seat Elevation As Capped Rental
NCART is also reporting that Medicare fee-for-service’s (FFS) system currently is only recognizing seat elevation as a capped rental, without a purchase option payment.
In its July 31 bulletin, NCART said that system’s omission of a purchase option payment “means that the system will only allow payment of the E2298 HCPCS code as a 10-month rental.”
NCART noted that Complex Rehab Technology suppliers noticed a denial code that said, “Rent purchase option guideline not met” when billing E2298 as a purchase to CGS Administrators, the Jurisdictions B and C DME MAC. CGS and Noridian Healthcare Solutions, the DME MAC for Jurisdictions A and D, “captured the few claims that had been denied erroneously, reprocessed them without further action from the supplier, and are currently processing new claims for purchasing CRT power seat elevation as E1399.”
“Please continue to submit purchase claims as E2298 NUBPKX,” NCART added. “Switching E2298 to E1399 is the only way to allow the claims to be paid as purchase until the CWF is updated, which requires CMS to issue a change request.”
NCART credited Noel Neil (ACU-Serve) and Dan Fedor (U.S. Rehab) for the billing/coding reminder.
