The mission of the ITEM Coalition (Independence Through Enhancement of Medicare and Medicaid) is to raise awareness and build support for policies that will improve access to assistive devices, technologies and services for people of all ages with disabilities and chronic conditions.

The ITEM Coalition is consumer-led and has a growing membership - now over seventy member organizations -- including a diverse set of disability organizations, aging organizations, other consumer groups, labor organizations, voluntary health associations, and non-profit provider associations.

Our coalition seeks to:

• raise awareness about:

  the importance of assistive devices, technologies, and related services in enhancing the function, independence, health status, and quality of life of people with disabilities and chronic conditions of all ages; and

  the barriers to access to necessary devices and technologies under Medicare and Medicaid as well as other federal health programs and private plans; and

• build support for broad-based legislative and regulatory changes to address the problems of inadequate access to assistive devices, technologies and related services.

Five principles guide the ITEM Coalition’s work in these areas.