The National Coalition for Assistive & Rehab Technology (NCART) has recapped its 2024 successes while also setting its priorities for 2025.
In a Feb. 7 newsletter to members, NCART said, “When NCART was formed, the focus was on federal legislation to protect CRT [Complex Rehab Technology] by keeping it out of competitive bidding. Mission accomplished! That is the past, and while that win continues to deliver economic relief to our members, we cannot sit idly by and hope for the best; there is more to do. Today’s challenges and opportunities are with CMS [Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services], the states, and managed care organizations (MCOs).”
Seat elevation, right to repair issues
Among the organization’s 2024 wins: working with the ITEM Coalition to attain Medicare coverage for power seat elevation. “This delivered top- and bottom-line growth to our members with seat elevation, and we remain focused on power standing in 2025,” NCART said, of the ongoing effort to secure Medicare funding for that technology as well. “We also focused on the states and MCOs with two additional state Medicaid programs establishing coverage, coding and payment for power seat elevation.”
NCART added that last year it “worked on 14 state legislative issues that included language for the right to repair CRT, deadlines for repairs, attorney general fines, and private rights of action. All these items would have been detrimental and placed lawsuit-actionable requirements on suppliers and manufacturers.”
The organization also addressed state coding and fee schedule issues, including “adding the KU modifier, expanding state code sets, and calling out specific codes that were severely underfunded.”
What’s on deck for 2025
Among the priorities for NCART this year includes a continued collaboration with the ITEM Coalition “to receive coverage, coding and proper funding for power standing.”
NCART is also working with eight more states on power seat elevation coverage and funding and is “making strides in 11 more to eliminate restrictive coverage policies. We will secure consumer access while creating revenue for our members in those states.”
Repair reform will also continue to be a priority, with the organization responding to 14 new state repair bills. “NCART is working with other states to introduce pro-consumer and NCART member bills,” the bulletin said. “NCART will weigh in on federal activity that addresses shortfalls in the current repair and service model, coverage and payment for travel and repair assessment time, preventative maintenance for consumers, and elimination of prior authorization.”
Julie Piriano, who joined NCART last spring as its senior director, payor relations and regulatory affairs, “continues to work on issues that will drive fee schedule improvements, eliminate duplicative, time-wasting, and costly regulations out of state requirements to protect consumers and our members.”
NCART Executive Director Wayne Grau said in the bulletin, “Our plan is aggressive, but NCART recognizes what is at stake and will remain laser focused on obtaining positive outcomes for our members and the CRT community.”
