Rep. Zeldin Introduces Bill to Protect People with Disabilities' Access to Critical Equipment

Press Release

Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, C -- NY-1) announced today that he has introduced bipartisan legislation in the House of Representatives to protect people with disabilities by ensuring they have access to vital equipment (H.R. 3229). The Congressman's legislation, which clarifies the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) of 2008, is a critical measure to secure the essential specialized power wheelchairs and related services relied on by people with disabilities and their families.

Under MIPPA, complex rehabilitation technology devices would be excluded from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Competitive Bidding Program to ensure consistent and fair prices for consumers. Excluded devices include power wheelchairs and related accessories, which are the fundamental parts of the products that make them useful and beneficial to people with progressed disabilities--such as recline/tilt systems, specialty controls and seat/back cushions. Recently, in November of 2014, CMS issued a ruling contrary to MIPPA, which stated that starting in January of 2016, accessories that are used on complex rehabilitative wheelchairs will no longer be a part of the fixed fee schedule, but will now be subject to competitive bidding pricing, which will decrease access to the individually configured wheelchairs and accessories relied on by adults and children with disabilities.

Congressman Lee Zeldin said, "I am proud to introduce legislation in Congress to ensure those with disabilities can access the complex rehabilitative equipment they require to meet their medical needs and to function at the highest level possible. The recent diversion from the set policy that has been in place for over 6 years will adversely affect those dealing with the challenges from disabilities such as ALS, Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Spinal Cord Injury, and many other debilitating illnesses. My legislation will provide a commonsense clarification to existing law to ensure that those in the Medicare program do not have to go through the difficulty of adjusting to new rules and pricing arbitrarily reached by CMS to receive equipment that they need. Providing support for those who need it the most has been a principle Americans have stood by for generations. We have always fought to safeguard others both at home and abroad throughout the centuries, and we must continue to help the many vulnerable men and women who are living with disabilities."

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