Please email your Representives using he website information listed below. Call Their office in 1-2 days to prevent 20-40 cuts wheelchair and and W/C accessories for complex disabilities.
September 16, 2015 CRT Stakeholders and Friends, The biggest threat to preserving access to CRT today is summed up in this question: Can we stop the devastating Medicare cuts to CRT wheelchair accessories scheduled for January 1, 2016? The answer to that is, "it depends". It depends on the short-term actions of you and thousands of other CRT stakeholders across the country. If we get everyone engaged as described below the answer is yes. If we don't, the answer is no. As reported, without specific Congressional intervention Medicare payments for accessories used with individually configured Complex Rehab wheelchairs will be INAPPROPRIATELY cut by 20% to over 40% starting January 1. This is a result of CMS violating the intent of existing Congressional legislation and inappropriately using Medicare Competitive Bid Program pricing for "standard" wheelchair accessories to cut payments for "complex rehab" wheelchair accessories. If Congressional legislation is not passed to prevent this, there will be devastating consequences to people with disabilities who rely on Complex Rehab wheelchairs to meet their medical needs and maximize their function and independence. It will not only negatively impact Medicare beneficiaries, but will extend to children and adults with disabilities covered under Medicaid and other health insurance programs as well. The positive news is that legislation to stop these cuts has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Representative Lee Zeldin (R-NY). The legislation is bill number H.R. 3229. Our collective task is to get as many co-sponsors on this bill as we can over the next several weeks and get Congress to pass it as soon as possible. Here is where your immediate help and that of others is needed. The weeks ahead will be a very busy time for Congress. We need all CRT stakeholders and friends to contact their Representative today and be persistent in their outreach by following these simple steps: 1.) Visit the web page dedicated to this issue to access helpful background documents you can use in your outreach as needed. You can also view the list of current co-sponsors to verify your Representative has NOT signed on yet (this list will be updated daily as we get new co-sponsors). 2.) Send an Email: If your Representative has not signed on, use the link provided to send an email. Just supply your home address and your Representative will be identified. A template message is provided to use as is or you can modify. 3.) Make a Call: Wait 24 to 48 hours after sending your email and then call your Representative's office using the guidelines provided on the web page. Special Note: A copy of the April 20th House of Representatives' letter to CMS is available on the above web page. Check to see if your Representative was one of the 101 signers. These members should be particularly willing to co-sponsor H.R. 3229 since it was necessitated due to CMS' refusal to honor the Congressional request in the letter. Mention this in your outreach. After starting your advocacy by sending the email, your follow up to get a "yes" answer is critical. Additional emails and phone calls may be required. Remember Congress is a busy place. But we have seen proof that positive results DO come from polite persistence with your Congressional offices. Please share this Alert with other CRT stakeholder groups and individuals. We'll keep you updated on the progress and please let us know if you require any assistance. Thanks for making this a priority and doing all we can to stop these cuts and prevent major access issues for the people with disabilities who depend on CRT. Regards, Don Donald E. Clayback Executive Director | NCART Office 716-839-9728 | Cell 716-913-4754 [email protected] | www.ncart.us P.S. If you know of other CRT stakeholders who would like to receive these types of updates please have them register using the link below or have them sign up at the NCART website. Register for CRT Updates See what's happening on our social sites Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter This email was sent to [email protected] by [email protected] | Update Profile/Email Address | Rapid removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | About our service provider. National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology | 54 Towhee Court | East Amherst | NY | 14051 Sent from my iPhone > On Sep 15, 2015, at 2:12 PM, Dave Krehbiel <[email protected]> wrote: > > I got it > > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2015 2:09 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [QUAD-L] pressure sore seating info > > Good morning, > > I’ve seen almost everyone on the quad site talk about pressure sores they’re > dealing with. Well, it’s my turn. > > I have an area that I’ve been dealing with for several months now. It is > superficial, but nevertheless is there. There is no depth, but this skin > keeps opening. There is nothing underlying that can be detected, but being > in a skin fold is the problem. > > I would like to hear from anyone about what kind of wheelchair cushion you > may use, Roho users please don’t respond as I have used the roho and it does > not work for me. > > Question two, does anybody use memory foam or T foam? If you do use either, > does anybody ever cut a hole in the foam to relieve pressure? > > Question three, if anyone has ever had seat mapping, do you have any type of > a wedge placed under your cushion to shift weight differently? > > Am a 49 year post Sci C5-6. > > Thanks, > > Glenn
