July 6, 2007

Representative Thomas H. Allen
1127 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-1901

Dear Representative Allen:

On behalf of the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) National Task Force on Public Awareness, and the tens of thousands of U.S. citizens served by MDA who rely on complex and customized medical equipment for mobility and independence, we are writing to register our support of H.R.2231, the Medicare Access To Complex Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology Act of 2007.

This bill exempts all "complex rehabilitation products and assistive technologies "from Medicare's competitive bidding program. Products fall within this category if they are" medically necessary adaptives eating, positioning, and mobility devices that are evaluated, fitted, configured, adjusted, or programmed to meet the specific and unique needs of an individual with a primary diagnosis resulting from injury or trauma which is neuromuscular in nature."

If your legislation is not passed, current Medicare policy will limit vendor selection to one or two pre-selected equipment vendors based on pre-established competitive bidding processes. This limitation on choice of vendors will drastically compromise customer service and customization of equipment to individual needs. The existing policy promotes a 'one-size-fits-all' concept of care.

We wish to underscore the importance of H.R.2231 and thank you for your support of this critical legislation and advocacy on behalf of individuals with neuromuscular diseases who are served by MDA.

Sincerely,

Muscular Dystrophy Association
National TaskForce on Public Awareness
Steering Committee

William Altaffer, Esq
Jan Blaustone
Michael Neufeldt
Chris Rosa, Ph.D.

:mr