ACTION ALERT Help Fight Medicare In the Home Restriction on Wheelchair Coverage

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Original Message-----From: CTIONY [mailto:CTIONY ] On BehalfOf Bonnie ShoultzSent: Thursday, May 19, 2005 2:02 PMCTIONY Subject: [CTIONY] Help Fight Medicare In the Home Restriction onWheelchairCoverage--from JFAACTION ALERTHelp Fight Medicare In the Home Restriction on Wheelchair Coverage BACKGROUND:On Thursday, May 5, 2005 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services(CMS) released new Medicare coverage criteria for wheelchairs and othermobility devices. Unfortunately, these new criteria fail to modify orrepeal the discriminatory in the home restriction.Medicares in the home restriction limits coverage of mobility devicesto only those that are considered necessary within the patients home. A beneficiary, who may not need a mobility device to fully function athome but needs such a device to access his or her community, work, school, physicians office, pharmacy, or place of worship, would not be eligiblefor a wheelchair under this restriction. ACTION: Currently, a bi-partisan Dear Colleague letter is being circulated inthe House of Representatives by Congressmen Jim Langevin (D-RI) and CharlieBass (R-NH). The letter asks Members to sign onto a letter to Healthand Human Services Secretary Leavitt, requesting modification ofthe in the home restriction to improve access to the community for people with disabilities. WE NEED YOUR HELP NOW IN GETTING MEMBERS SIGNATURES ON THIS SIGN-ONLETTER.- Please call the Capitol switchboard at (202) 225-3121 and ask to be connected to your Representatives office. Then, ask to speak to the Health Legislative Assistant and request that the Member sign onto theBass/Langevin In The Home Letter. Let them know that the in the homerestriction unfairly confines people with disabilities to the fourwalls of their home, preventing them from accessing their community andliving their lives as independently as possible. - Additionally, please contact your lawmakers via the web at www.rightwheelchair.org. Simply type in your zip code, edit thedrafted letter in anyway you wish, and send the email.Thank you for your help! Your actions will go a long way in changingthis outdated and harmful restriction.Please contact Niederman at the ITEM Coalition (202) 349-4260 orKim Ruff-Wilbert at United Spinal Association (202) 331-1002, with anyquestions.# # #--