As the federal government shut down on Oct. 1 due to lack of funding, Noridian Healthcare Solutions — the DME MAC for Jurisdiction A — sent out a reminder to stakeholders that Medicare claims would be put on hold. “When certain legislative payment provisions (“extenders”) are scheduled to expire, CMS [Centers for Medicare & Medicaid…
Medicare Claims on Hold as Government Shuts Down, Telehealth Flexibilities End
AAHomecare Shares Proposed Rule Comments on DMEPOS Competitive Bidding, Accreditation
The public comment period closed Aug. 29.
The American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) has submitted its comments on Medicare competitive bidding and accreditation recommendations in the calendar year 2026 home health proposed rule. AAHomecare addressed its 45-page list of comments to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz, M.D., on Aug. 27. Competitive bidding proposals in conflict with executive…
Managing Microclimate
Identifying risks to wheelchair riders — and how technology can help
So much about the art and the science of seating is about working effectively with factors that are unchangeable — the wheelchair rider’s diagnosis, progression of the condition, and past mobility equipment, just for starters. Seating teams also need to account for inescapable factors such as pressure, which can be strategically managed, but never fully…
Reforming Repair
Wheelchair service is broken, but the way forward is complicated.
Regarding repairs for complex seating and wheelchairs, stakeholders seemingly agree on one thing: The process takes too long, leaving wheelchair riders without the technology they depend on to optimize their function and independence. From consumers and caregivers to clinicians, providers, manufacturers, researchers, legislators and policy experts, stakeholders agree that repair reform is desperately needed. But…
How 3D Printing Could Impact Custom Cushion Manufacturing
Carbon — whose partners include Adidas, Ford Motor Company, and Riddell — has been studying the wheelchair seating industry.
Traditionally, seat cushions that provide the most help for wheelchair riders — such as custom-molded ones with robust support and positioning, or that accommodate asymmetrical or windswept postures — have come with tradeoffs. They can be bulky and heavy. They don’t breathe well, so they trap and hold heat. They also trap and hold moisture,…
A Multidisciplinary Approach to Pressure Injury Prevention
Considering all sitting surfaces — not just wheelchairs — is critical.
Truly managing pressure injury risk requires a wide-angle lens that takes in everything a wheelchair rider does — and everywhere that rider sits — all day long. “People think it was just that car ride over the weekend or sitting on a commode for too long that caused this pressure injury,” said Nicole LaBerge, PT,…
Abilities Expo Announces Professional CRT Conferences for 2026
The new Abilities International Accessibility Conferences will co-locate with the Southern California, New York Metro, and Chicagoland consumer events.
The consumer- and caregiver-focused Abilities Expo series is partnering with multiple industry organizations to bring educational sessions to seating, mobility and assistive technology professionals starting in 2026. In a June 10 interview with Mobility Management, Katy Roberts, managing director of the Abilities Expo, discussed how the new Abilities International Accessibility Conference for industry professionals will…
Reporter’s Notebook: Ingenuity Meets Workability at RESNA’s 2025 Conference at RehabWeek
Assistive technology of all kinds were the focus of the Chicago meeting.
CHICAGO — For the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America’s (RESNA) 2025 conference, it would be hard to imagine a more beautiful location than the city’s Riverwalk, where the Chicago River meets Lake Michigan. For the May 12-16 conference at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk, RESNA members had company. The meeting was…
Reviewing RESNA’s Evacuation Standard: Performance Requirements, Installations, Inspections … and Why They Matter
The standard is open for comment till June 23.
The news stories are too common, with too common a thread: A student in a wheelchair is left behind during an active shooter drill because taking that child down stairs is too big a hassle. Or an adult wheelchair rider is left in an office stairwell as coworkers evacuate because that fire alarm is probably…
Commentary: Everyone Wins When People with Disabilities Are Accurately Represented in Media
Getty Images grants affirm the need to portray people with disabilities in professional settings.
In late March, a TikTok video by @ezbruhhspinz showed a small boy in his ultralightweight wheelchair pointing to a poster in a Target store. “There’s a girl in a wheelchair, just like me!” he says of the poster’s artwork. The video racked up 26.7 million views. Maybe it also sparked conversations on how important it…
