Choices for Increased Mobility Act of 2024

Bill: 118-s-5154
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN]
Introduced: 2024-09-24
Policy area: Health
Latest action: action_date: 2024-09-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Summaries:

tv_txt: II 118th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 5154 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 24, 2024 Mrs. Blackburn (for herself and Ms. Duckworth ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance A BILL To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to clarify payment rules for manual wheelchairs under part B of the Medicare program.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Choices for Increased Mobility Act of 2024 . 2. Establishing separate HCPCS codes for certain manual wheelchairs under the Medicare program Section 1834(a) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395m(a) ) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (23) Requirement to establish separate HCPCS codes for certain manual wheelchairs (A) In general With respect to ultralightweight manual wheelchairs payable under this subsection furnished on or after January 1, 2025, the Secretary shall establish two or more HCPCS codes, as determined appropriate by the Secretary, for the base of such a wheelchair depending on the construction material used in such base (with one such code that is used to identify such a base with titanium or carbon fiber materials and one code for such a base without such materials). (B) Upgrades applicable to certain manual wheelchairs Notwithstanding paragraph (19), on or after January 1, 2025, an individual may purchase or rent from a supplier an upgraded titanium or carbon fiber manual wheelchair. (C) Payment and beneficiary protections (i) In general Notwithstanding paragraph (19), in the case where an individual purchases or rents from a supplier an upgraded titanium or carbon fiber manual wheelchair on or after January 1, 2025, the supplier may charge the individual the difference between the Medicare fee schedule amount for the non-upgraded manual wheelchair and the fair market value for the upgraded manual wheelchair. (ii) Beneficiary protections In order to inform an individual of their potential financial liability under clause (i), the Secretary may require a supplier to issue an advance beneficiary notice under section 1879 to the individual prior to the purchase or rent of an upgraded titanium or carbon fiber manual wheelchair by the individual. .