On Jan. 1, 2016 it will become much more difficult, and in some cases impossible, to get Medicare to pay for seating and positioning equipment including wheelchair cushions, wheelchair backs, controllers and other items deemed “accessories” that wheelchair users need. This is because of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Final Rule 1614-F, which is scheduled to take effect in January 2016. It will reduce how much they will pay for complex rehab technology. Anything beyond a standard (hospital or “drugstore style”) wheelchair is considered CRT.

These cuts will make it much more difficult, and in many cases impossible, to get funding for the proper seating and positioning equipment that users of manual and/or power wheelchairs need to stay healthy. To make matters worse, private insurance companies and Medicaid programs generally follow Medicare payment guidelines.

It is vital to stop these reimbursement cuts and it is up to each of us to do so. Click here to sign a petition to stop Medicare from making these cuts. Then share the petition with your friends on Facebook, Twitter and anyway you can. There has to be 100,000 signatures by October 23, 2015 so time is of the essence.