October 7, 2003
Contact: Christine Harris or Ellyn Seestedt
(202) 349-4260

CONSUMER-LED ITEM COALITION WORKING FOR IMPROVED ACCESS TO ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES ANNOUNCES POLICY AGENDA FOR 2003-2004

Coalition will work to improve public awareness of the need for better coverage of hearing aids, powered wheelchairs, vision aids, and other assistive devices that improve function and prevent injury in people of all ages with disabilities and chronic conditions

Washington, DC—The national, consumer-led ITEM Coalition (Independence Through Enhancement of Medicare and Medicaid) announced today its Policy Agenda for 2003-2004. The Policy Agenda is a combined effort by the Coalition’s Steering Committee and the coalition’s 72 member organizations, including a diverse set of disability, aging and labor organizations, consumer groups, voluntary health associations, and non-profit provider associations.

The ITEM Coalition’s Policy Agenda calls for federally-supported health programs and private health plans to:

• Appropriately recognize improvements in a person’s function when determining whether an assistive device or technology is considered “medically necessary.” Currently, hearing aids, power wheelchairs, and vision aids such as CCTVs are not routinely covered due to a lack of recognition of the functional improvement a person can experience with the use of these assistive devices;

• Appropriately recognize in the medical necessity determination the value of preventing primary and secondary injury of people with disabilities and chronic conditions by covering assistive devices such as grab bars and other safety devices for home use, lightweight and powered wheelchairs, and voice-output blood glucose meters;

• Seek to modify Medicare’s “in the home” restriction on durable medical equipment so that people with disabilities and chronic conditions can obtain the assistive devices, technologies and related services they need to participate in the workplace, school and community;

• Support increases in federal research funding to support the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of these devices for people with disabilities.

“The Coalition agreed to a broad-based policy agenda that will impact virtually all users of assistive devices, technologies and services,” stated Henry Claypool, ITEM Coalition Steering Committee member. “We intend to raise awareness of the lack of access to these devices and technologies and use our policy agenda to offer solutions.”

The human cost of not having access to appropriate assistive devices is staggering,” said Lee Page of the Paralyzed Veterans of America. “We hope to build the case the investing in assistive technologies today can pay huge dividends in human capital tomorrow.”

Kim Glaun of the Medicare Rights Center underscored the point by saying “Lack of access to these devices and technologies can be every bit as problematic as lack of access to prescription drugs for those who need assistive devices to live independent and fulfilling lives. Our nation’s coverage policies in this area keep people with mobility impairments as prisoners in their homes, and that must end.”

“To implement these policy objectives, the ITEM coalition will initially focus on raising awareness among key hill and agency staff in each major federal health program, including Medicare, Medicaid, FEHBP, TRICARE and the VA,” stated Paul Schroeder of the American Foundation for the Blind. The Coalition’s members will also work to develop specific legislative and regulatory policy proposals that seek to improve assistive device coverage policies in both publicly-supported programs and private health plans.

The ITEM Coalition was formed in 2003 to raise awareness of and build support for improved access to assistive technologies, devices, and related services for people with disabilities and chronic conditions of all ages. For more information on the ITEM Coalition, please go to www.ITEMCoalition.org.

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