Choices for Increased Mobility Act of 2026

Floor Speech

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Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1703) to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to clarify payment rules for manual wheelchairs under part B of the Medicare program, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 1703

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Choices for Increased Mobility Act of 2026''. SEC. 2. SPECIAL RULES RELATED TO TREATMENT OF CERTAIN MANUAL WHEELCHAIRS UNDER THE MEDICARE PROGRAM.

Section 1834(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

``(24) Special rules related to treatment of certain manual wheelchairs.--

``(A) Requirement to establish separate hcpcs codes for certain manual wheelchairs.--With respect to ultralightweight manual wheelchairs payable under this subsection furnished on or after January 1, 2028, the Secretary shall establish two or more HCPCS codes, as determined appropriate by the Secretary, for the base of such a wheelchair depending on the construction material used in such base (with 1 or more such codes for such a base with titanium or carbon fiber construction material and 1 or more such codes for such a base without such materials).

``(B) Payment and beneficiary protections.--

``(i) Payment.--On or after January 1, 2028, in the case where an individual purchases or rents from a supplier an ultralightweight manual wheelchair that has titanium or carbon fiber construction material used in the base of such wheelchair, payment to the supplier shall be made in the frequency and amount as would otherwise be made under this subsection (as described in paragraph (1)(A)) for such wheelchair.

``(ii) Beneficiary charges.--The supplier may charge the individual the difference between the supplier's actual charge for such wheelchair and the payment amount described in clause (i) for such wheelchair.

``(iii) Beneficiary protections.--In order to inform an individual of the individual's potential financial liability under clause (ii), the Secretary may require a supplier to issue a notice to the individual (in a form and manner determined by the Secretary) prior to the purchase or rental of such ultralightweight manual wheelchair by such individual.''.

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Mr. GUTHRIE. 1703.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1703, led by my good friend who previously spoke, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce).

Medicare beneficiaries should not be limited in their ability to access the right wheelchair to help them move freely in their daily lives. Ultimately, the payment clarifications in this legislation are intended to improve access to wheelchair upgrades among Medicare beneficiaries who choose to do so.

I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers on this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

This is a bipartisan bill. It is something we all support, and I thank my colleagues for supporting it.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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