Ren Art 32 §670 to be Art 32-A §676, add §677, Gen Bus L
Directs the department of health to establish a right to preventative maintenance of wheelchairs program, after consultation with certain other offices, under which owners of manual and powered wheelchairs shall be entitled to reimbursement of certain preventative maintenance costs for such wheelchairs.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A7595
SPONSOR: Romero TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the general business law, in relation to directing the
department of health to establish a right to preventative maintenance of
wheelchairs program
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To establish a right to preventative maintenance of wheelchairs program.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 2 creates a "preventative maintenance of wheelchairs program"
under the auspices of the department of health. This program would
afford wheelchair owners and lessors a twice yearly preventative mainte-
nance appointment.
The commissioner of social services shall maintain specific reimburse-
ment and billing procedures under this section for wheelchairs to ensure
that Medicaid payments for wheelchair repairs permit adequate access to
such products and services, and takes into account the significant
resources, infrastructure, and staff needed.
The commissioner of social services shall also monitor the addition of
new billing codes for wheelchair repairs by the Medicare program, as
well as establish minimum benchmark reimbursement rates to be paid by
managed care organizations.
Section 3 sets the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Preventative maintenance for wheelchairs is long overdue. While owners
and lessors already perform some minor maintenance, real maintenance by
suppliers is needed. This maintenance would prevent wheelchair acci-
dents, avoid costly repairs and help extend the overall life of the
equipment.
Take a page from dental insurance: they cover preventative services
every 6 months because they'd rather pay for a small cavity instead of a
root canal.
This legislation creates a pathway for biannual preventative maintenance
for wheelchairs. This legislation coupled with wheelchair repair legis-
lation and right to repair legislation creates a multi-prong approach to
revolutionize the wheelchair repair landscape. People in wheelchairs are
waiting; their independence, comfort and mobility relies on it.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
TBD
EFFECTIVE DATE:
90th day after it becomes law.
