H.R. 1703, the Choices for Increased Mobility Act of 2025, has moved one step closer to becoming law.
After advancing out of the House Energy & Commerce health subcommittee on May 13 by voice vote, the Energy & Commerce committee passed the bill unanimously, with a 45-0 vote, on May 21.
The next step for the bill would be consideration by the full House of Representatives.
The bill provides a more accessible path for Medicare ultralightweight wheelchair riders to upgrade out of pocket to a titanium or carbon fiber frame by paying only the cost of the more expensive frame. Currently, beneficiaries must pay the entire cost of the ultralightweight wheelchair plus the cost of the upgraded frame, then wait for partial Medicare reimbursement for the chair.
That much higher cost precludes some riders from being able to upgrade. The bill would not raise costs for Medicare.
A companion bill — S. 247, also the Choices for Increased Mobility Act — is currently in the Senate.
In the subcommittee markup session on May 13, Rep. John Joyce, M.D., (R-Pa.) — who introduced the bill with Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) in February 2025 — said, “In 2016, the Durable Medical Equipment Medicare Administration Contractors [DME MACs] issued a policy that severely limited access to titanium and carbon fiber wheelchairs by preventing the billing of the existing code and allowing the beneficiary to cover the difference of the upgrades. As a result, the only way to obtain a titanium or carbon fiber wheelchair is to pay the entire cost out of pocket by the patient wishing to choose that chair.
“This is cost prohibitive for the many beneficiaries and has detrimental effects on access to titanium and carbon fiber wheelchairs. This not only affects the patient — it affects their families who help them, who lift those wheelchairs; it affects their caregivers who push and utilize these heavier wheelchairs. This subcommittee should be encouraging Medicare patients to take full advantage of their healthcare benefits, and more importantly, giving them a say in the choice that will directly impact their quality of life.”
