The bill that would create a more accessible path for Medicare beneficiaries wanting to upgrade their ultralightweight wheelchairs was described as “common sense” during a Jan. 8 Energy and Commerce Health subcommittee meeting.
The meeting centered on several bills related to durable medical equipment and funding barriers such as competitive bidding.
Tom Ryan, president/CEO of the American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare), was among the witnesses who testified before the subcommittee.
“H.R. 1703 addresses a 2016 policy that effectively eliminated beneficiaries’ ability to upgrade to titanium or carbon fiber wheelchairs unless they paid the full cost out of pocket,” Ryan said in his opening comments as he described the Choices for Increased Mobility act. “This is contrary to long-standing Medicare policy that has severely restricted access to these lighter, more durable chairs. The bill restores the ability for the beneficiary to pay the difference for the upgraded materials without adding any cost to Medicare. Individuals with disabilities deserve the ability to choose the equipment that best supports their mobility needs and their quality of life.”
Advocates for this legislation point out that while the bill would not cost Medicare additional funding, requiring beneficiaries to pay only the cost of the upgraded wheelchair frame up front — rather than paying for the entire wheelchair up front, as is currently the case — would reduce the financial burden for wheelchair riders.
Rep. John Joyce, M.D. (R-Pa.), called H.R. 1703 “common-sense legislation, and it would give greater access to Medicare beneficiaries to titanium and to carbon fiber wheelchairs.” Joyce and Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) introduced the bill in February 2025.
“There is one key word in this legislation, and that is ‘choice,” Joyce said. “This bill allows Medicare patients the opportunity to decide whether a titanium or a carbon fiber wheelchair is the right choice for them. And if it is, then patients with Medicare B have the ability to pay out of pocket for wheelchair upgrades if they so choose.”
Under questioning from Joyce, Ryan noted that Medicare previously offered the upgrade option to beneficiaries in a lower-cost way, but no longer does.
“You bring out a great point,” Joyce answered. “That is previously what Medicare patients had the capabilities of having, to have a lightweight wheelchair. And this legislation once again will provide that for the patients. I urge all of my colleagues to support this common sense, zero-cost measure, which passed unanimously out of this committee last Congress, so that it may be signed into law.”
Senate companion bill S. 247, the Choices for Increased Mobility Act of 2025, was introduced in January 2025 by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.).
During his testimony, Ryan also touched on current Medicare reimbursement policies for wheelchair service, telling Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), “You only get paid for the time you are in the home and actually fixing the chair. I can certainly empathize with that industry for wanting to get some sort of reimbursement for that travel time [to drive to the consumer’s home].”
Approximately 30 members of the committee also questioned witnesses about competitive bidding, Medicare funding for DME, home infusion reform, and protecting access to supplemental and liquid oxygen.
“It’s where the dollars should be going these days,” Ryan said about investing in health care policies that support patients in their homes. “It’s where the infrastructure should be building up.”
