VGM & ASSOCIATESHealthcare MSO
Full Menu Search

U.S. Rehab and VGM Government Relations Attend Congressional Briefing in Washington D.C.

Published in Government Relations on September 19, 2022

Congressional Briefing

Wednesday, Sept. 14, was a momentous day of advocating for CRT and other key legislative issues. Greg Packer, president, U.S. Rehab, and Tom Powers, consultant, VGM Government Relations, spent time in Washington D.C. attending the NCART/NRRTS Virtual Congressional Fly-In and a congressional briefing on power seating and standing systems for power wheelchairs.  

The congressional briefing was held Wednesday afternoon in Washington D.C. and was attended by U.S. Rehab, NCART, and many other industry advocates. There were over 50 people at the briefing, and over 20 congressional offices had some form of representation present.  

“It was a great turnout, and it went very well as key members of the research community, the consumer community, and the legislative community spoke to the key issues on power seat elevation and standing systems,” said Greg Packer. “They also discussed the need to continue the push of having power standing brought to the front of attention so that comments can be started for it soon.” 

The briefing was held to continue the discussion about why it is incorrect for Medicare to list power seat elevation and standing systems for power wheelchairs as “not medically necessary” for people with disabilities.  

Thank you to all the speakers who attended this briefing, including current wheelchair users who offered their perspectives such as Kent Keyser, Jim Meade, and Ali Ingersoll, who was recently crowned Miss Wheelchair America 2023. They were followed by a physician’s perspective given by Dr. Anjali Shah and research perspectives from Cara Masselink and Dr. Mark Schmeler. The briefing was finished with congressional perspectives from Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Rep. Dan Meuser (R-PA).  

The virtual fly-ins were also extremely successful with over 300 advocates who held meetings with 292 congressional offices throughout the day. There was representation from all areas within the CRT community, including consumers, clinicians, providers, manufacturers, family members, caregivers, and others.  

All of this happened on the same day that CMS’ 30-day comment period on Medicare coverage of power seat elevation concluded. The comment period had massive success with over 3,500 comments being submitted during the period.  

One important request that came from the meetings on Wednesday is for the House of Representative members to join a BIPARTISAN sign-on letter being led by Reps. Jim Langevin (D-RI), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), and John Rose (R-TN). The letter, which can be read here, urges CMS to move expeditiously in the review and coverage of power seat elevation systems and to open the comment period for power standing systems as soon as possible. The House of Representatives has until Oct. 3 to sign on, and we need your help. Click here to email your representative and ask them to sign on. We want to send a strong message to CMS!

Send Your Message Now

TAGS

  1. advocacy
  2. complex rehab
  3. dmepos
  4. medicare
  5. vgm
  6. vgm government

Get Connected

Stay up-to-date on the latest resources and news provided by VGM & Associates.

Sign Up for Email

From Our Experts

VGM Group Submits Comments on CMS-6098-NC Request for Information (RFI) Related to Comprehensive Regulations to Uncover Suspicious Healthcare (CRUSH). thumbnail VGM Group Submits Comments on CMS-6098-NC Request for Information (RFI) Related to Comprehensive Regulations to Uncover Suspicious Healthcare (CRUSH). The comments reflect VGM Group's support of CMS' goal of strengthening program integrity and shares CMS' commitment to protecting Medicare beneficiaries and taxpayer dollars from fraud, waste, and abuse. DME suppliers already operate in a highly regulated environment and have a direct interest in ensuring that anti-fraud initiatives are precisely targeted, data driven, and operationally feasible, so that legitimate suppliers can continue to serve beneficiaries without unnecessary disruption. Call To Action - Access to Power Seat Elevation on Standard PWCs Threatened thumbnail Call To Action - Access to Power Seat Elevation on Standard PWCs Threatened As reported by NCART: Do you use, recommend or provide power seat elevation for individuals with any of the diagnoses below? If so, and you answer YES to any of the questions below, it is important for Medicare to hear your story in writing by midnight on Saturday, April 4 at PMDRecon@noridian.com. Florida Becomes First State To Follow Medicare; Issues A Six-month Moratorium On DMEPOS Suppliers Enrolling In Medicaid thumbnail Florida Becomes First State To Follow Medicare; Issues A Six-month Moratorium On DMEPOS Suppliers Enrolling In Medicaid As reported by The van Halem Group: On Thursday, March 26, 2026, the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) issued a temporary moratorium on enrollment of new Medicaid providers for Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS). CMS Rule Phases Out Fax Machines, Snail Mail to Save Taxpayers $781.98 Million a Year thumbnail CMS Rule Phases Out Fax Machines, Snail Mail to Save Taxpayers $781.98 Million a Year As reported by CMS: “The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is slashing wasteful spending and antiquated paperwork by swapping out faxing and mailing for streamlined electronic transactions. This action lets providers spend less time on administrative hassle and more time caring for patients. PAMES Raises Critical Concerns Over Sole-Source Supply Shift thumbnail PAMES Raises Critical Concerns Over Sole-Source Supply Shift PAMES and DME suppliers across Washington are taking an important stand on behalf of both providers and patients. The Tacoma Daily Index recently reported on the state's plan to move to a sole-source contract for incontinence and urological supplies. Under this decision, the Health Care Authority intends to transition all Medicaid recipients to receiving these products from a single vendor. SBA Advocacy: Your Input Matters thumbnail SBA Advocacy: Your Input Matters Make your voice heard about how the CBP has affected your business. New Bipartisan Senate Bill Aims to Improve Access to Diabetes Technology & Education for Medicare Beneficiaries thumbnail New Bipartisan Senate Bill Aims to Improve Access to Diabetes Technology & Education for Medicare Beneficiaries U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Susan Collins (R-ME), Cochairs of the Senate Diabetes Caucus, have introduced the Diabetes Interventions Addressing Barriers to Enrollment, Technology, and Education Services (DIABETES) Act, S.4037. VGM Reintroduces the Fraud, Waste & Abuse Reporting Resource Center thumbnail VGM Reintroduces the Fraud, Waste & Abuse Reporting Resource Center VGM Government Relations is proud to announce the reintroduction of its Fraud, Waste & Abuse (FWA) Reporting Resource Center—a newly refreshed online hub designed to protect the integrity of the DMEPOS industry and reinforce our unwavering commitment to ethical, compliant care.

Give your business an advantage over the competition.

Become a Member