Clinician Task Force Survey Focuses on Medicare Advantage Access
The CTF is asking for providers to track and report PWC claims sent to Medicare Advantage plans.

The Clinician Task Force (CTF) is using a survey to collect information on Medicare Advantage (MA) plans in an effort to better understand MA plans’ denials of power wheelchair claims.

After entering contact information, survey participants are asked which MA plans they work with. Then participants are asked why they have decided not to work with certain MA plans, if applicable, with reasons ranging from “Risk of non-payment is too great” to “Reimbursement for equipment is too low” or “Medicare Advantage plan will not prior [authorization].”

Participants are also asked approximately how many power chair claims they submit to MA plans per month.

CTF is asking providers to submit MA power chair claims to the relevant MA plan as well as through the Medicare prior authorization process. Providers are then being asked to log their information about beneficiaries, claims, and responses from MA plans and traditional Medicare into spreadsheets.

CTF Executive Director Cara Masselink is collecting those spreadsheets every one to two months and will communicate with providers on timelines. All information collected will be kept confidential, and no identifiable information will be shared.

In a June 6 bulletin encouraging members and stakeholders to participate, NCART said participating in the CTF survey could “impact a long-standing issue in PWC [power wheelchair] provision” and described the process as confidential. “Clinical researchers are following ethical and confidential processes to ensure that only the approved researchers know who is participating,” the NCART message said.

The CTF’s mission “is to provide clinical based expertise to inform and promote public policy, best practices, and positive outcomes regarding people with disabilities who require Complex Rehab Technology products and related services,” according to the organization’s website.

The organization comprises seating and wheeled mobility clinicians “to improve access for consumers with complex medical conditions who require customized seating and wheeled mobility equipment.”