Medicare Independent Living Act of 2006

Medicare Local Coverage Determination (LCD) and coding and payment changes for coverage of mobility devices. Medicare Independent Lving Act of 2006, S. 3677 and HR 5938 - all provisions. Development of CMS Gainsharing Demonstrations. Lifespan Respite care Act, HR 3248 - all provisions. Medicare National Coverage Determination for the iBOT Mobility System Medicare "in the home restiction" for power mobility devices.

Client expense: $60,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Justice, Dept of (DOJ), SENATE, Social Security Administration (SSA)

H S. 3677 Medicare Independent Living Act, to allow Medicare to cover in-house use wheelchairs, H.R. 916/S. 438, Medicare Access to Rehabilitation, to remove PT caps on Medicare; opposed S. 1955 b/c it would permit exclusion of state insurance mandates, supported all efforts to increase NIH funding; supproted H.R. 3248/S. 1283, Lifespan Respite Act, to provide federal funding for respite care. H.R. 810, Stem Cell Enhancement Act, efforts in make more stem cell lines available for federal funding; S. 1537, to codify the MS VA Centers of Excellence, effort to protect its MS research

Client expense: $60,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Education, Dept of, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Natl Institutes of Health (NIH), SENATE, Social Security Administration (SSA)

HR 916/S 438 - Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act, to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to repeal caps on Medicare outpatient therapy services; S 3516 - Rural Equity Payment Index Reform Extension Act, to extend the floor onthe work geographic index under the Medicare physician fee schedule; S 3677 - Medicare Independent Living Act, to eliminate the "in the home" restriction for Medicare coverage of devices to enhance the mobility of individuals with functional limitations, impairments, and disabilities; HR 5866 - Medicare Physican Payment Reform and Quality Improvement Act, to reform Medicare payment to health care professionals billing through the Medicare physician fee schedule; HR 3373/S 1405 - Preserving Patient Access to Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospitals Act, to extend until two years after passage of the bill the 50% compliance threshold used to determine if a hospital or unit of a hospital is an inpatient rehabilitation facility; HR 3795/S 657 - to amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to modify the definition of outpatient speech-language pathology services in order to recognize speech-language pathologists as suppliers under the Medicare program; Payment for physical therapist services under the Medicare physician fee schedule; Medicare skilled nursing facility payment for physical therapist services; Medicare "pay for performance"; Proposed quality standards for suppliers of durable medical equipment. HR 1333/S 647 - Medicare Patient Access to Physical Therapists Act, to amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act ot authorize physical therapists to evaluate and treat Medicare beneficiaries without requirement of a physician referral;

Client expense: $800,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Education, Dept of, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Natl Institutes of Health (NIH), SENATE