Currently, Medicare only provides coverage for mobility devices that are necessary for use inside a beneficiary’s home.  In other words, Medicare will grant coverage for a wheelchair or “scooter” that a person needs in order to brush their hair or cook their dinner, but will not provide them with a device if they need it to get to their physician’s office, attend their place of worship, go to the grocery store, return to work, or simply participate in community activities.  

This discriminatory restriction runs counter to numerous government initiatives to improve access to independent living for people with disabilities including the "Ticket to Work Program," Olmstead Supreme Court Decision, New Freedom Initiative, and Americans with Disabilities Act.

In March, Congressmen Langevin (D-RI) and Ramstad (R-MN) introduced the Medicare Independent Living Act of 2007 (HR 1809) - bipartisan legislation in the House to eliminate Medicare's "in the home" restriction on mobility devices.

We are working with the ITEM Coalition to encourage you to email your Representatives using the draft letter below, asking them to cosponsor legislation to eliminate the "in the home" restriction on mobility devices in order to provide access to the community for people with disabilities.  Please feel free to edit the letter and to share your own challenges in accessing the assistive technology that you or a loved one needs.

Click here for more information.   

Take Action!  Contact your member of Congress today!

· To find out who your representative is and contact them click here.

SAMPLE LETTER OR E-MAIL

Dear Representative _____,

I am writing to urge you to cosponsor legislation to modify Medicare's "in the home" restriction on mobility devices (HR 1809).

Currently, Medicare will only provide coverage for mobility devices that a beneficiary needs for use inside his/her home, but will not provide access to the devices that they need to move beyond their front door.

Medicare's "in the home" restriction fails to take into account beneficiaries' need to access their communities including work, school, religious services, the grocery store, and even their doctor's offices. Additionally, the restriction runs counter to numerous government initiatives to improve access to independent living for people with disabilities including the "Ticket to Work Program," the Olmstead Supreme Court Decision, the New Freedom Initiative, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Congressmen Langevin and Ramstad have introduced the "Medicare Independent Living Act of 2007" - legislation to eliminate the "in the home" restriction on mobility devices for those with long-term mobility needs.  I encourage you to become a cosponsor of this important legislation to ensure that beneficiaries can access the devices they need to live healthy and independent lives.

Sincerely,

  NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE