2018 Advocacy Efforts

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

• Letter to CMS: ITEM Coalition Comments on Select Proposals in CMS-1691-P, “Medicare Program; End-Stage Renal Disease Prospective Payment System, Payment for Renal Dialysis Services Furnished to Individuals with Acute Kidney Injury, End-Stage Renal Disease Quality Incentive Program, Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program (CBP) and Fee Schedule Amounts, and Technical Amendments to Correct Existing Regulations Related to the CBP for Certain DMEPOS”, Steering Committee Letter.

August 7th

• Letter to HHS: Meeting Request and Two Attachments Regarding Medicare Coverage of Standing Feature and Seat Elevation in Power Wheelchairs, Steering Committee Letter.
• Attachment 1: Medicare Coverage of Standing Feature in Power Wheelchairs
• Attachment 2: Medicare Coverage of Seat Elevation in Power Wheelchairs

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 22^nd

• 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 12^th

• Letter to Congress: Support for Inclusion of Key Medicare Provisions Impacting People with Disabilities in the Omnibus Spending Bill, Steering Committee Letter.

February 7^th

• Letter to Congress: Support for Select Medicare Provisions in the Latest Continuing Resolution and Requests for Inclusion of Additional Key Provisions, Steering Committee Letter.