After coming very close to getting a bill passed that would have improved consumer access to complex rehab technology (CRT) manual wheelchair accessories and components, NCART has outlined priorities for 2019.
A Jan. 31 newsletter from NCART Executive Director Don Clayback to industry stakeholders acknowledged that H.R. 7217, a Medicaid bill also known as the IMPROVE Act, had come close to passing – the bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives in December, but was stalled in the Senate when the 115th Congress adjourned.
“Getting legislation to protect access to CRT for people with disabilities is not a sprint, it’s a marathon,” Clayback said in the newsletter article. Despite the disappointment, Clayback added that NCART plans to build on last year’s gains and is working to get a new manual wheelchair accessories bill and a separate Medicare benefit for CRT bill introduced in the new Congress.
NCART is also addressing various state funding and policy issues via its National Medicaid Committee: “In addition to a pilot Legal Advocacy Program focused on Medicaid Managed Care and coverage for standing devices, the members of this committee are targeting specific states for advocacy,” the newsletter said. To report Medicaid problems in your state, contact Mickae Lee, NCART’s Director, Advocacy & Communication, at [email protected].
NCART is also registering attendees for its joint NCART/NRRTS National CRT Leadership & Advocacy Conference in May. To register, go to https://www.ncart.us/crtconf
