The House Energy & Commerce’s subcommittee on health will be discussing H.R. 1703, the titanium/carbon fiber ultralightweight upgrade bill, among other bills during a Jan. 8 hearing.
The American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) called for constituents of health subcommittee members to reach out to their representatives’ health care staffers by Wednesday, Jan. 7, “and ask that the Congressman/Congresswoman speak in support of whichever (or all) of these bills are priorities for you,” the association said in a Jan. 5 bulletin.
Also expected to be on the agenda are H.R. 2005, the DMEPOS (durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies) Relief Act of 2025; and H.R. 2902, the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act of 2025.
H.R. 1703, the Choices for Increased Mobility Act of 2025, provides a more efficient and cost-effective pathway for Medicare beneficiaries to pay out of pocket to upgrade from an aluminum ultralightweight wheelchair frame to a frame made of titanium or carbon fiber. Currently, beneficiaries cannot solely pay for the upgrade out of pocket; they are required to pay the entire cost of the ultralightweight wheelchair — an upfront expenditure that many wheelchair riders can’t afford. Beneficiaries must then wait for partial reimbursement.
Companion bill S. 247 is currently in the Senate.
“Note: This is not a mark-up session,” the AAHomecare bulletin said. “The health subcommittee will not be voting on these measures on Jan. 8. We will share more resources on building grassroots for these bills in the coming weeks.”
