If you’re new to our webpage, or you’ve been here for a while but just haven’t had a chance to really poke around, you might be wondering what NCART is all about. In today’s blog, we’d like to cover a little about what we stand for and what we do.
NCART stands for National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology. We ensure that those with significant disabilities have access to Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) by working with the users, the clinicians, the physicians and legislators at all levels of government.
Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) includes specialized power or manual wheelchairs that are configured to an individual’s unique medical needs. The technology also includes items such as positioning seats, standing devices or gait trainers. They are evaluated, configured, adjusted and programmed to meet the medical needs of the individual using them.
However, as any clinician, supplier, caregiver, or wheelchair user can attest, obtaining these medically-necessary devices is becoming more challenging. Issues regarding coding, coverage and payment are mounting all across the board, whether it’s in regards to private payers or payers at the state and federal levels.
NCART works to make sure access to CRT is upheld. We approach payers and lawmakers to advocate for the needs of individuals with significant disabilities and medical conditions and work to establish the policies that will help, rather than hinder, their access to medically-needed devices.
While we’ve seen a great victory recently with the passage of S. 2425 and a one-year delay to CMS’s plan to apply competitive bid pricing to accessories used with Complex Power Wheelchairs, there is still more we can do in 2016. Keep visiting our website or reading our blog for more updates.