Wheelchair Win Demonstrates Power of Grassroots Advocacy
After years of speaking out about the critical importance of specialized wheelchair components for those who rely on wheelchairs for their mobility, United Spinal Association, its members, and everyone involved in the push celebrated the close of the legislative session with a huge win. On December 21st, 2019, the President signed H.R. 1865, a bill that forbid the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) from applying Medicare Competitive Bidding Program (CBP) reduced rates for Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) manual wheelchair components, into law. With this change, and our successful 2017 legislative advocacy on a similar bill for power wheelchair components, our members will see improved access and fewer denials for the customized equipment prescribed to them by physicians and therapists instead of being forced to settle for lower-priced standardized options.
Complex Rehab Technology has been an ongoing issue priority for everyone in attendance at United Spinal’s annual Roll on Capitol Hill events, with advocates working hard to pair their faces and stories with the CRT definition. Years of education and persistence by United Spinal advocates, the mobility disability community, clinicians, industry professionals, and the National Coalition for Assistive & Rehab Technology (NCART) have paid off, with Congress recognizing the importance of the CRT categorization and our unique customized equipment needs.
Advocate Mobilization Pays Off
United Spinal’s Grassroots Advocacy Network has been growing and blossoming since its inception in 2018. The impressive mobilization by advocates in support and movement on the CRT bill demonstrated its collective strength. Not only were individual chapter advocacy teams able to capitalize on cultivated relationships with Congressional offices to make strategic asks for movement, but the network came together in unprecedented ways in our rally for bill movement late in 2019. On December 12th, an advocacy action alert was sent out to the Grassroots Advocacy Network requesting a reach out to their Congressional members for H.R. 1865 end-of-year package inclusion and passage. Between 10 AM and 3 PM that day, advocates had already contacted 245 Congressional offices. By December 17th, our requests helped the bill pass through the House of Representatives, and less than a week later, on December 19th the bill was adopted by the Senate.
Our community stood out as enthusiastic and informed leadership in this rally and should be exceptionally proud. In total, more than 1,100 total messages went from members out in support of our mobility equipment access. New York state advocates lead the way in responses, followed by California, Texas, Oregon, Michigan, and Florida, respectively. Dave Pierson, the Chapter Advocacy Representative for Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection, supported the mobilization at each step. He shares, “It was easy. I followed the advocacy alert and used the link provided by United Spinal and was able to contact my Congress members in less than two minutes flat. I also sent out the email to my network with a personal message about how important the bill was for me as a manual wheelchair user. I checked and made sure it was posted on our chapter social media and shared it too.” Pierson then enthusiastically added, “It was fun to track the progress, and I’m proud of my less populated state for keeping up with the bigger ones in our fight for this!”
Social media sharing and exposure played an essential role in capitalizing on the opportunity to unite. As advocates shared their stories with their followers, they included a request for support with the easily clickable links provided. The simple act of storytelling around the web paid off in our mobilization numbers. Hundreds of new first-time advocates joined the push in support of our community, learning a vital piece of the broader policy that dictates the options we have for mobility equipment and that our participation can make a difference.
Add Your Voice
Do you want to get more involved with bipartisan advocacy issues that support the quality of life of individuals with spinal cord injury and related disorders like this one? United Spinal is recruiting individuals to act as dedicated advocates from every Congressional District across the nation. United Spinal makes it easy by providing timely and easy to complete and share advocacy actions, alerts, and opportunities to district representatives, and together our collective voice can unite for the changes we need! Interested in being a part of our District Mobilization push? Click here.