Please share this information with as many people as possible. I have copied and pasted the notice I received from Tobii ATI. This is a follow-up to the Proposed Changes to Medicare & Medicaid Impact AAC & Power Wheelchair Access Post on8/23/13.
We all need to act!
Hello,
I
am hoping that you will be able to support and assist the President of
Tobii ATI and Executive Board Member for the Assistive Technology
Industry Association
(ATIA), Tara Rudnicki during her next trip to Washington DC to visit
our elected members of government.
The
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has decided, in their
quest to cut spending, they have and will continue to implement new
guidelines
of coverage for recipients. The horrendous changes that will come into
effect will be a significant detriment to those whom we are so honored
to serve and support each day.
Tara
has, for several months, been working with the entire industry,
consisting of professionals, industry associations, clinicians,
recipients, researches,
etc. to work together as one voice to advocate for those who may not
have the ability to do so.
1.
On
April 1, 2014 Medicare changed their policy from purchasing a speech
generating device to renting them under a “capped rental” procedure.
a.
rental
means that the SGD will not be owned until the caped rental period has
been satisfied. (13 months) The device will have to be ‘locked’ and can
no longer be unlocked.
Therefore, the device may not be used for anything other than face to
face communication. No e-mail, no environmental control, no phone, no
Skype, and no web access.
b.
If
the beneficiary goes into a hospice program, long term care facility,
and or extended hospital stays, the SGD is no longer a covered rental
and has to be returned.
Therefore, when a beneficiary is at their most vulnerable time they
will not be able to actively participate in their own care due to the
inability to communicate their medical concerns or necessity.
2.
On
September 1, 2014 CMS is also mandating any SGD that has the capability
of word processing, web/e-mail, remote control and the like will not be
covered at all.
3.
Add
insult to injury, we have been receiving many many denials for eye gaze
access on the SGD. Medicare reviewers are saying that this is not
needed and think people
are using it to play games and surf the web, not recognizing that with
most of our clients, eye gaze is the only access method that will
successfully work for them. They are not paying for beneficiaries to
play on their computers all day. This practice is
denying and delaying our very special population access to
communication.
Tara
has asked for as many letters from as many people as possible to set
forth an impact statement to CMS and Congress. She is looking
for letters from users, their families, caregivers, professionals such
as SLPs and OTs and even co-workers of users. She believes each and
every one of our industry would be there advocating if possible. Would
you be willing to write a letter or an e-mail
about how a SGD and specifically eye gaze helped you or your family? Here are the kinds of things she has asked for:
If
you are comfortable explaining your need for a communication device for
example diagnosis had did that just changed your life.
What/how has a communication device (SGD) changed their lives?
What impact has eye tracking had? If they didn’t have eye tracking what would things be like?
Has
eye tracking been instrumental in giving those and ability to work
longer? Stop abuse, physical, mental, or monetary? Communicate an
emergency? Able
to communicate with their children, doctors, or clergy or other users?
(or any other examples)
What
should Capitol Hill be aware of if patients going forward will be
denied eye gaze across the board? What if all claims would have to be
appeal all
eye tracking? (CMS appeals right now at three year wait, yes that is
not a typo)
How
would losing the ability to use Skype, email, text, phone, to
teleconference with their doctors/family/friends, and internet impact
them?
If you have the ability to support us please remember to include your name, the town and state you are a resident of.
It would be helpful but not required if you list your age.
None
of us can overturn this alone. We need to work together. Most
importantly we have to make sure the powers that be know and understand
who they are
affecting with such poor cost cutting decisions which in the long run
will cost them millions more.
We
are hoping you will be able to show your support. We know this
decision is detrimental to the quality of life you deserve.
Time is of the essence I am afraid. Can you contribute your letter by Monday May 12, 2014? E-mail it to me if you could.
Tara.rudnicki@tobiiati.com
On
behalf of Tobii ATI, I sincerely appreciated your help in this. If
these regulations go into effect unchanged the consequences will be
devastating
to many pAls. The impact your words can make a difference to
thousands. Let’s stand together and say NO .
THANK YOU in advance!
