Changes to Medicare Wheelchair Policies - CMS has made positive changes to the recent LCD and reimbursement levels. -November 21, 2006

Power Mobility Device Codes Have Been Refined - A release from CMS regarding the power wheelchair coverage policy. -November 16, 2006

Important Changes to Wheelchair Coverage Policy - Access Concerns Remain. -November 10, 2006

ACTION ALERT: STOP Medicare Atrocity - SIGN the petition NOW to delay implementation of the Medicare Power Mobility Device Policy Change & Fee Schedule effective 11/15. -November 7, 2006

ACTION ALERT: Stop Implementation of Harmful Medicare Wheelchair Policies! - TELL YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS: These Policy Changes Must be Rescinded to Protect Access to Important Mobility Devices for People with Disabilities! -October 27, 2006

Medicare Cuts May Derail the Disabled - Medicare plans to decrease payments for power wheelchairs and scooters by as much as 41 percent. -October 17, 2006

Administration Names Acting Medicare Chief - An attorney who has served in two Bush administrations has been named the acting chief of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. -September 26, 2006

Medicare/Medicaid Relationship Brochure Availability - Medicare beneficiaries who have limited income and resources might be getting help paying for their out-of-pocket medical and prescription expenses. -September 27, 2006

Medicare Denies Coverage of iBOT Mobility Device - no Medicare beneficiary will realistically have access to the iBOT as a result of CMS's National Coverage Determination for the iBOT® 4000 Mobility System. -July 31, 2006

Medicare & Your Wheelchair - Outdated policies prevent many Medicare recipients from getting the wheelchair they need to live independent and productive lives. -June 28, 2006

Availability of 'Medicare Basics: A Guide for Caregivers' - Revised January 2006 is now available online and in print. -June 28, 2006

Support Legislation to Fix Medicare's 'In the Home' Restriction - Medicare will only cover mobility devices if beneficiaries need them for use inside their homes. -June 16, 2006

Solicitation of Topics [response deadline is 12 Noon ET, June 16] - for the July 2006 Medicare Beneficiary Ombudsman's Open Door Forum. -June 13, 2006

Medicare Denies Coverage of iBOT Mobility System - The Medicare program released a draft decision for the iBOT Mobility System that leads to non-coverage for the device. -May 11, 2006

ITEM Coalition Strongly Opposes Medicare Proposal to Deny Coverage for Vision Aid Technology. -May 11, 2006

Medicare Basics: A Guide for Families and Friends of People with Medicare. -March 3, 2006

Help us Eliminate the Twenty-Four Month Medicare Waiting Period The Medicare Rights Center is working to eliminate the Medicare coverage waiting period. -January 5, 2006

Medicare Takes Major Step Toward 2006 Drug Benefit. Medicare approved prescription drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans where coverage will start Jan. 1, 2006. -September 2005

Equipment suppliers seek Medicare fairness. The "Medicare Durable Medical Equipment Access Act of 2005," H.R. 3559. -August 2005

Training Opportunity - Medicare Rx Drug Coverage. -August 2005

Urge your Representative to cosponsor Representative Dingell's Resolutions to Honor Medicare and Medicaid in the U.S. health care system. -July 2005

Interactive Timelines Commemorating Medicaid and Medicare's 40th Anniversary from the Kaiser Family Foundation. -July 2005

Medicare Calendar. Important Dates for People with Medicare during 2005 and 2006. -July 2005

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released new Medicare coverage criteria for wheelchairs and other mobility devices. -May 2005

FY05 Real Choice Systems Change Grants for Community Living. CMS announced that approximately $35 million in new grants will be awarded to states to develop programs for people with disabilities or long term illnesses. -May 2005

Notices to deemed eligible beneficiaries for Limited Income Subsidy. and the SS Administration application for beneficiaries who may qualify for Limited Income Subsidy. -May 2005

Outreach Toolkit. The toolkit is developed with basic, straightforward information that can be easily conveyed to beneficiaries. -April 2005

The Kaiser Family Foundation recently released two new guides that explain the role of Medicare and Medicaid for roughly 20 million children, adults and seniors with disabilities. -April 2005

Statement Of Mark B. McClellan, M.D., PH.D. Administrator, Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services -March 2005

CMS Hires Medicare Ombudsman Dan Schreiner to be 'Voice' for Medicare Beneficiaries. -March 2005

Medicare Policy's impact on power wheelchairs. Motor wheelchair firms may rebound but last year was rough. -February 2005

CMS proposes new coverage criteria for wheelchairs and scooters announcing new, more specific codes for wheelchairs. -February 2005

Urge Congress to Provide Safety Net for Most Vulnerable Americans. The Medicare Rights Center is launching an online action center. -January 2005

Comments Sought for CMS Wheelchair Coverage Policy Medicare Opens National Coverage Determination To Make Sure Beneficiaries Who Need Wheelchairs Get Them. -January 2005

US Department of Health & Human Services Promotes New Medicare Preventive Benefits For Better Senior Health. -January 2005

Medicare Opens National Coverage Determination To Make Sure Beneficiaries Who Need Wheelchairs Get Them. -December 2004

Medicare Health Plan Tracker Providing basic information about Medicare HMOs and other private plans. -December 2004

Medicare Awards Programs To Improve Care of Beneficiaries With Chronic Illnesses. -December 2004

Investigation into Medicare's wheelchair and scooter coverage policies Disability Rights Advocates is investigating. -November 2004

Medicare Preventive Benefits Begin January 2005 With A Goal Of Healthier Seniors. -November 2004

Building awareness of the upcoming prevention benefits in Medicare. Cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke represent the largest killers in the Medicare population. -November 2004

The Medicare Drug Discount Card Guide Translated into an easy-to-use language. -November 2004

Operation Wheeler Dealer: U.S. Government's Crackdown on Wheelchairs Highlights Tensions between Health and Disability Policy. -October 2004

CMS Announces Demonstration Project For Medicare Beneficiaries With High Medical Costs. -October 2004

Proposed Medicare Rules Fail To Protect Beneficiaries With Disabilities Dual-eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid At Risk. -September 2004

The New Medicare Prescription Drug Law: Formulary Policies Could Limit Access to Necessary Medications. -August 2004

State-by-state estimates (pdf) of the number of people eligible for Medicare Rx transitional assistance. For pdf files download Adobe Acrobat Reader. -July 2004

The New Medicare Rx Benefit: Challenges for Maintaining Access to Prescription Drugs. -July 2004

Punishing the Poor New York Times columnist Bob Herbert describes deep cuts taking place on the state level in Mississippi. -June 2004

U.S. to Drop Benefit Cuts Linked to Drug Discounts Bush Administration's reversal of policy to preserve access to food stamps. -June 2004

Special Open Door Forum Clinical Guidance for Wheelchairs, Power Wheelchairs, and Power-Operated Vehicles Coverage. -June 2004

Links to State Health Insurance Assistance Provider (SHIP) sites SHIP staff have received training from CMS on how to enroll individuals in the program. -June 2004

Medicare Rx Drug Benefit - Multimedia Tutorial From the Kaiser Family Foundation's Medicare policy expert. -May 2004

Report on Senate Hearing RE Power Wheelchair Benefit Senate Finance Committee Examines Medicare's Power Wheelchair Benefit. -May 2004

Contact CMS about Wheelchair Policy CMS has no plans to issue a public press release about the retraction of the December 9th bulletin. -April 2004

Victory with CMS Wheelchair Policy The ITEM Coalition announced that CMS has retracted its Power Wheelchair Policy Clarification. -April 2004

Keep up the Pressure on CMS re Power Wheelchairs! Help Us Get Washington To Fix Medicare Regulations On Wheelchairs, Scooters, And Similar Devices! -March 2004

Families USA launches Medicare Road Show A nationwide senior awareness campaign about the new Medicare prescription drug law. -March 2004

Fed Reserve Chairman Urges Social Security/Medicare Cuts To Trim Deficit, Greenspan Urges Social Security and Medicare Cuts. -March 2004

HHS Gives Seal Of Approval To Medicare Drug Discount Cards Program Also To Include Web Site Where Seniors Can Compare Drug Prices. -March 2004

Medicare Wheelchair/Scooter Investigation DRA is currently investigating complaints by Medicare beneficiaries who have experienced difficulty trying to obtain power and manual wheelchairs and scooters. -March 2004

ACTION ALERT! Restore Access to Wheelchairs. -March 2004

Power Wheelchair Policy Clarification Retracted! CMS Plans to Announce Actions to Address Power Wheelchair Concerns. -March 2004

Change in Medicare's Power Chair Coverage Costs and Savings in Medicare Change on Wheelchairs. -February 2004

Medicare Discount Drug Card Offers An Opportunity To Expand Food Stamp Enrollment Among The Elderly And People With Disabilities. -February 2004

Disability Statistics Criticized NCD for drastic changes in the Census Bureau collection. -January 2004

National Council on Disability Releases Improving Federal Disability Statistics Paper. -January 2004

Important News for Younger People with Disabilities on Medicare Effective January 1, 2004, people under 65 years old with Medicare in California have a one time opportunity for 90 days to purchase one of five Medigap policies. -January 2004

Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 From the Ways and Means Committee website. -November 2003

Medicare compromise -- Problems for people with disabilities House and Senate Republican leaders inserted themselves into the Medicare conference and came up with a "compromise" proposal. -November 2003

How Not to Fix Medicare House and Senate passed bills that would give private health plans a huge new stake in Medicare. -July 2003

Consumers Union's letters to the House and Senate For the "Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act of 2003". -June 2003

Medicare Legislation Update The latest news on the Medicare prescription drug bill. -June 2003

Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Analysis and Position on House Medicare Bill. -June 2003

Senate Medicare Rx Bill is the Wrong Prescription For Beneficiaries with Disabilities of All Ages. -June 2003

House Democratic Leadership Calls for Full and Fair Debate on Medicare. -June 2003

Send a message to Congress Support the Medicare Innovation Responsiveness Act (MIRA). -June 2003

Settlement Reached With Medicare In Suit Over Lack Of Appeals. -May 2003

Arthritis Drug to Be Free for Medicare A new drug for rheumatoid arthritis is now available for free to Medicare-enrolled senior citizens who lack prescription drug coverage. -January 2003

Medicare Rights Center Launches Consumer Advisory Board Members to Be Recruited to Advise on Local Health Care Access and Affordability Concerns. -December 2002

HMO's For 200,000 Pulling Out of Medicare Health maintenance organizations serving 200,000 elderly and disabled people said that they would pull out of Medicare next year. -September 2002

Medicare Coverage Reversal for Treatment of Serious Eye Disorder Dismays Disability and Aging Advocates. -April 2002

Medicare HMO Erosion. -January 2002

Culturally Appropriate Medicare Education. -December 2001