The ITEM Coalition is devoted to raising awareness and building support for policies that will enhance access to assistive devices, technologies, and related services for people with disabilities and chronic conditions. The coalition is consumer-led and includes a diverse set of disability organizations, aging organizations, other consumer groups, voluntary health associations, and non-profit provider associations.
Most Recent Advocacy Efforts
June 21st
- Letter to Congress: Pass Legislation to Restore Access to Manual CRT Wheelchair Accessories (House). 32 ITEM Coalition Members Signed on.
- Letter to Congress: Pass Legislation to Restore Access to Manual CRT Wheelchair Accessories (Senate). 32 ITEM Coalition Members Signed on.
- Letter to Congress: Support Legislation to Differentiate CRT as a Separate Medicare Benefit Category. 32 ITEM Coalition Members Signed on.
June 19th
- Letter to CMS: Ensuring Patient Access to Non-Invasive Ventilators. 29 ITEM Coalition Members signed on.
April 12th
- Letter to CMS: Ensuring Patient Access to Disposable Negative Pressure Wound Therapy in the Home Setting. ITEM Steering Committee letter.
December 17th
- Letter to CMS: Comments on Competitive Bidding of Off-the-Shelf Orthoses and Ventilators. ITEM Steering Committee letter.
November 19th
- Letter to Congress: Please Pass Legislation to Restore Access to Manual CRT Wheelchair Accessories. ITEM Steering Committee letter.
November 19th
- Letter to Congress: Access to Titanium Wheelchairs. ITEM Steering Committee letter.
September 21st
- Letter to Congress: Please Pass Legislation to Restore Access to Manual CRT Wheelchair Accessories, Six Steering Committee Members signed on.
September 10th
July 9th
- Letter to CMS: Durable Medical Equipment Fee Schedule Adjustments to Resume the Transitional 50/50 Blended Rates to Provide Relief in Rural Areas and Non-Contiguous Areas: (CMS-1687-IFC) Medicare Program, Steering Committee Letter.
June 1st
- Letter to HHS: Need for Functional Outcome Quality Measures to Prevent Stinting on Patient Care in the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI)—Advanced Initiative. 43 ITEM Coalition, Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation (CPR), and Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Members signed on.
May 22nd
- Letter to Congress: Please Sign On to House Letter to CMS Administrator Seema Verma regarding 21st Century Cures Act Provisions and Complex Rehab Technology (CRT), Steering Committee Letter.
March 12th
- Letter to Congress: Support for Inclusion of Key Medicare Provisions Impacting People with Disabilities in the Omnibus Spending Bill, Steering Committee Letter.
February 7th
- Letter to Congress: Support for Select Medicare Provisions in the Latest Continuing Resolution and Requests for Inclusion of Additional Key Provisions, Steering Committee Letter.
Policy Priorities
The ITEM Coalition’s 2019 Policy Priorities can be found here.
