ALS Association Endorses S. 2932, Rehab Carve-Out Bill

Main Category: Medical Devices
Also Included In: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP;  Alzheimer's / Dementia;  Rehabilitation
Article Date: 08 May 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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Yesterday in a letter to Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), the ALS Association, which represents patients with The Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (or Lou Gehrig's disease) endorsed the S. 2931, the bill to exempt complex rehab from competitive bidding. The letter reads, in part:

People who have lost the ability to stand, walk, use their arms and hands, and even breathe on their own require the use of wheelchairs that are far more advanced than those typically needed by most Medicare beneficiaries. Indeed, the complex chairs required by people with ALS are highly customized so that they can respond to their unique medical needs. Unfortunately, the competitive acquisition program as currently proposed does not recognize the complexities of ALS, the difficulties imposed by the disease, or the sophisticated equipment and services that are required to improve the lives of people with ALS and their families….

That is why we are pleased to endorse S. 2931 and companion legislation introduced in the House by Representatives Tom Allen and Ron Lewis. By exempting only those complex technologies needed by people with ALS and other serious conditions, the bill preserves patient access to needed technologies and recognizes that one-size-fits-all policies are not always appropriate when it comes to ALS.

American Association for Homecare