Telehealth proved its efficacy during the heart of the COVID-19 public health emergency, when hospitals and clinics sharply limited in-person appointments, but wheelchairs and seating provision for Medicare beneficiaries still needed to move forward. The telehealth option isn’t the answer in every situation: It’s not a good fit where internet connections are unreliable or when…
Telehealth Update: Industry Organizations Comment on Latest Extension, 2025 Wins
CMS Final Rule Restarts Competitive Bidding, Requires Annual DMEPOS Accreditation
Urological, ostomy and tracheostomy supplies were deemed to be appropriate for Medicare competitive bidding.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) home health calendar year 2026 final rule revives Medicare’s controversial competitive bidding program and requires annual accreditation for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS) suppliers who bill Medicare. The long-awaited final rule was published on Nov. 28. Accreditation to become an annual requirement Accreditation, which…
Going Beyond the Wheelchair
Why everyone wins when kids are consistently positioned
While so much of seating focuses on wheeled mobility, much of life happens out of the wheelchair. That’s especially true for children, whose daily environments can include home, school, cars and caregivers’ homes, where activities such as sleeping, eating, bathing, learning and playing still require functional, safe support. This summer, Mobility Management hosted three clinical…
Small Base, Big Possibilities
An early-intervention power chair reimagines family-friendly mobility.
So many early-intervention mobility needs have been met by enterprising creations such as Permobil’s Explorer Mini and the University of Delaware’s groundbreaking GoBabyGo adapted power toys. But David Savage, ATP/SMS, RET, seating and mobility specialist at Children’s Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick, N.J., still saw a gap for very young children who lacked independent mobility…
Commentary: Did Policy Changes Just Ease CRT’s Roll?
The removal of ICD-10 codes for seating and changes for power mobility device replacements may be smoothing out the policy pavement.
CMS: ICD-10 Codes No Longer Required for Wheelchair Seating Documentation
The DME MAC contractors announced the change on Oct. 2.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) DME MAC contractors have removed ICD-10 codes from its wheelchair seating requirements. The National Coalition for Assistive & Rehab Technology (NCART) reported the change in an Oct. 2 breaking news bulletin to stakeholders while linking to the updated article. The article’s revision date is Oct. 1, 2025.…
Medicare Claims on Hold as Government Shuts Down, Telehealth Flexibilities End
As the government shut down Oct. 1, pre-pandemic Medicare telehealth policies resumed.
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…
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…