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CMS Update: Power Mobility Policies Take Another Turn
While Medtrade is always a good opportunity to catch up on recent goings-on from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), this year the news flashes got off to an early start in the mobility/rehab sector.
On Oct. 14, four days before Medtrade's opening and while some attendees were already on their way to Atlanta, CMS announced that implementation of the newest set of power mobility codes — issued Sept. 14 and scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2006 — had been postponed. According to a CMS statement, "On Sept. 14, 2005, CMS revised (the previous set of codes issued last February), adding 13 new codes and modifying a number of the testing requirements (for power mobility vehicles). CMS now plans to delay implementation of these new codes until it has an opportunity to review the changes with input from manufacturers, suppliers and other stakeholders."
That news made Medtrade's educational sessions even more critical for mobility and rehab suppliers trying to keep up with what seems to be a continually changing policy landscape.
Oct. 19. The early-morning meeting was billed as an update from the National Coalition for Assistive & Rehab Technology (NCART), and kicked off with a greeting and quick recap of recent events by Rita Hostak, NCART's president. After mentioning a brand-new Local Coverage Determination (LCD) to match the current K codes for power mobility vehicles that will be used during the postponement, Hostak said in her more than 20-year tenure in the industry, "I've never seen so much change." And the current power mobility activity, she indicated, was only part of the evolution.
"I think competitive bidding is going to be a significant change," Hostak told meeting attendees, referring to Medicare's competitive acquisition DME plan that is scheduled to begin in limited areas in 2007. "I'm not sure how the rehab industry will respond ... The clients you deal with are the exceptions to the rule."
Hostak then turned the microphone over to special guest Dr. Doran Edwards, the SADMERC medical director who told attendees that CMS' decision to postpone implementation of its Sept. 14 set of codes would be followed by a careful examination of those codes to determine their viability. Edwards indicated that a technical committee of nine to 15 members would be formed in the next 30 days to go through the code list, determine if existing categories were sufficient, and to review the vehicle testing requirements and procedures.
Alluding to the fact that this upcoming committee — to comprise suppliers, clinicians, manufacturers and other stakeholders — would be attempting to develop yet a third set of power mobility codes, Edwards said, "We must get this right. I have suspended all of my other SADMERC duties for this one project." Edwards added that while the committee would use the existing Sept. 14 set of codes as a beginning point, committee members would be "starting from scratch" if necessary. |
