The proposed assignment of benefit categories represents a positive step toward facilitating Medicare coverage of personal exoskeletons for qualified individuals with spinal cord injuries.
ReWalk Robotics is working with key stakeholders during the public comment period to support the proposal to further improve access for Medicare beneficiaries.
MARLBOROUGH, Massachusetts and YOKNEAM ILLIT, Israel, June 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - ReWalk Robotics Ltd. (Nasdaq:RWLK) ("ReWalk" or "the Company"), a leading provider of innovative technologies that enable mobility and wellness in rehabilitation and daily living for people with neurological conditions, welcomes the Centers for Medicare &; Medicaid Services' ("CMS") proposal to include personal exoskeletons in the Medicare benefit category for braces. CMS published the proposal as part of the Calendar Year 30 Home Health Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule, CMS-2023 (Proposed Rule), published on 2024 June 1780.
The proposed rule would establish a new regulatory definition of "brace" and include exoskeletons such as the ReWalk Personal Exoskeleton (i.e., exoskeletons described by Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System code K1007) in that definition. Once finalized, the Medicare benefit category for personal exoskeletons would be clear - i.e., the Medicare benefit category for "leg, arm, back, and neck supports" - and payment would be on a per diem basis. As CMS noted, "including the definition of braces in the regulation would expedite coverage and payment for newer technologies and powered devices, and potentially allow faster access to these new health technologies," such as personal exoskeletons that allow paralyzed patients to stand and walk again in their daily lives.
Larry Jasinski, chief executive officer (CEO) of ReWalk, said, "CMS used this proposed rule to provide a path forward to make this life-changing technology available to beneficiaries with spinal cord injury. Proposing a clear Medicare benefit pathway for personal exoskeletons removes one of the biggest barriers preventing Medicare beneficiaries from accessing these innovative devices. The inclusion of a policy addressing personal exoskeletons in this proposed rule is a significant milestone for the SCI community."