ALS patients with Medicare could lose access to speech-generation devices

On Dec. 1, Medicare patients with ALS could lose access to technological advances that allow them to better communicate, according to a Kaiser Health News report.

Medicare typically covers approximately 80 percent of basic speech-generation devices used by many ALS patients, which cost around $4,000. In February, CMS, posted a coverage reminder that made clear Medicare does not cover the cost of upgrades to the devices.

Common upgrades — which many patient advocates argue are necessary to the health and safety of the patient — include eye-tracking technology or the ability to connect to the internet to open doors, turn on lights or communicate with people not in the same room as the patient, according to the report.

In addition to the coverage reminder in February, a federal rule change that took effect last April reclassified speech-generation devices in a way that would require Medicare patients to rent them for 13 consecutive months before actually being allowed to own them.

The reinterpreted rental requirement could mean ALS patients would temporarily lose access to the machines they have been using if they enter a hospital or hospice facility, due to Medicare payments for the machines being suspended during that time. Even if the facilities offer communication tools, they are rarely customized to meet the individual patient's needs.

In September, 200 members of Congress sent a letter to CMS urging the agency to address the device access issues. CMS has yet to respond.

 

 


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