January 27, 2004

With the signing of the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (P.L.108-173), and final approval of the Omnibus Appropriations bill for FY04, Congress took a modest but significant step towards a Medicare policy which would allow for assistive technology services for people who are blind or visually impaired. The Medicare prescription bill requires a one-year study to produce recommendations for legislative or administrative action “providing for payment for vision rehabilitation services furnished by vision rehabilitation professionals.” While the recommendations will relate specifically to state licensure issues, such recommendations can provide a basis for the first step toward establishment of the services component of assistive technology.

The Omnibus Appropriations bill conference report establishes a 5 year demonstration project to provide national coverage for vision rehabilitation services and requires CMS to develop policy recommendations that will allow vision rehabilitation professionals to provide services in patient’s homes and environs. Again, these new projects do not provide a basis for reimbursing for the assistive technology devices but will provide important experiential data on issues relating to the delivery of services.