Medicare’s “In the Home” Policy for Coverage of Mobility Assistive Equipment Limits Employment and Community Access for People with Disabilities
MANCHESTER, N.H., April 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — New Hampshire based organizations Mobius Mobility and ABLE NH are partnering together to urge the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) to update a harmful and outdated coverage policy. Disability advocacy group ABLE NH and iBOT® power wheelchair manufacturer Mobius Mobility call upon CMS to review its “in the home” limitation for coverage of mobility assistive equipment (MAE).
Twenty years ago, CMS decided that coverage of MAE is reasonable and necessary only for activities of daily living occurring inside the home, such as “toileting, feeding, dressing, grooming, and bathing.” This CMS regulation has caused coverage denials for people who use wheelchairs as their only means of mobility. This regulation has negatively affected psychological health (i.e., loneliness and social isolation) and resulted in secondary health conditions, as well as lack of fair access to preventive health services, employment, and participation in everyday community life.
In addition, CMS’s “in the home” limitation stifles important innovation in mobility technology. MAE developers cannot afford to innovate when Medicare will only reimburse for the basic mobility needed to navigate inside the confines of a home. The lack of new technology and innovative products in the wheelchair industry is clear evidence of the negative impact of CMS’s outdated policy. This affects Medicare beneficiaries and privately insured individuals alike.
Mobius Mobility is both a manufacturer of innovative MAE and a Participating Provider with Medicare for the iBOT®. The iBOT® features six different operating modes and allows users to climb curbs, traverse sand, snow, and other rough terrain, and even climb stairs. As the only mobility device available in the United States with all these capabilities, the iBOT® is a game changer in overcoming issues that most wheelchairs and insurers fail to address – equal access and opportunity for all.
The January approval of Mobius Mobility’s ability to bill Medicare for some iBOT® elements helps improve the affordability of the device. However, the “in the home” requirement from CMS must change to drive optimal health outcomes and allow for further coverage of the iBOT® and other modern mobility technologies on the market.
“The technology that we all use in our lives today has grown leaps and bounds from what we used 20 years ago,” Jill Kolczynski, Director of Reimbursement and Product Management for Mobius Mobility said. “Unfortunately, Medicare’s ‘in the home’ rule restricts coverage based on an outdated view of people with disabilities. CMS’s overly restrictive position affects not only Medicare beneficiaries, but most in the private insurance market as well. As a result, innovative mobility technologies like the iBOT® are rare and will continue to be until there is a clear path forward for reasonable reimbursement for these products.”
ABLE NH, a disability justice organization serving New Hampshire, stands together with Mobius Mobility on this effort for CMS to reevaluate its coverage policy. “Full participation in one’s community does not start or stop with activities of daily living inside the home,” Sarah Tollefsen, Executive Director of ABLE NH, said in a statement. “Full participation requires access to the right equipment, so that people with disabilities can ensure health equity through access to medical care, financial equity in meaningful employment and education, and social equity with recreation and volunteerism.”
With their outdated policies, CMS has failed to align its programs with the landmark of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which guarantees the rights of people with disabilities to live in the community. “While this bureaucratic status quo has persisted for far too long, Mobius Mobility and ABLE NH continue to push for meaningful progress,” Lucas Merrow, CEO of Mobius Mobility said. “Now it’s time for CMS to do their part, and they have the ability to do so.”
If you are interested in more information about how the iBOT® helps wheelchair users access their communities, or to schedule an interview with Mobius Mobility’s CEO, contact Mobius Mobility by emailing [email protected], or calling 1-833-346-4268 ext. 6860. Visit www.mobiusmobility.com.
Mobius Mobility delivers the iBOT® PMD to provide people with disabilities greater access to the world around them. Since 2019, Mobius Mobility has manufactured the iBOT® PMD in Manchester, New Hampshire USA. The iBOT® PMD has been cleared by the FDA for sale in the USA, and is CE marked for availability in Europe via our distribution partner 2KERR, with expansion to other international regions underway.
Boldly challenging broken systems, ABLE NH delivers justice and protects human rights for people impacted by disability who face barriers to education, employment, healthcare and civic engagement. Standing for Advocates Building Lasting Equality in NH, ABLE NH advocates for the civil and human rights of children and adults with disabilities. The organization promotes full participation by: improving systems, connecting families, inspiring communities, and influencing public policy.
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SOURCE Mobius Mobility
