CMS ISSUES NEW LCDS FOR POWER MOBILITY DEVICES AS INDUSTRY LAMENTS LACK OF INPUT
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued new local coverage determinations (LCDs) for power mobility devices and industry representatives are unhappy they were not consulted more before the policy was finalized.
The LCDs were published Aug. 15 and are effective for dates of service on or after Oct. 1.
A coalition of members of the wheelchair industry, the Restore Access to Mobility Partnership, issued an Aug. 16 statement saying while the CMS encouraged input on the regulation from power mobility industry in the early stages of agency deliberations, the new rules were finalized "without enough input from stakeholders, resulting in flawed policies that may hinder the delivery of equipment to qualified beneficiaries."
Regulations "are being drawn up without being shaped by the practical, real-life experiences that the stakeholders can provide," making the regulations "ambiguous and confusing," said Mal Mixon, chairman and CEO of Invacare.
This confusion may also cause delays in equipment deliveries, said Dan Meuser, president of Pride USA.