112th Congress (Current Legislation)

MDA’s Advocacy department continues to strive to be an effective voice for the hundreds of thousands of Americans whom we serve. As legislation relevant to our neuromuscular community is introduced throughout the 112th Congress, we will provide detailed overviews of the issues, as well as helpful tools to take action.

Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act of 2011 (H.R. 3423/S. 1872)

The ABLE Act amends section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the establishment of “ABLE accounts” for the care of family members with disabilities. ABLE accounts encourage and assist individuals and families in saving private funds that can be used to support the health, independence and quality of life of the person living with a disability.

In creating ABLE accounts, the legislative intent is to provide secure funding for disability-related expenses on behalf of designated beneficiaries with disabilities. These funds supplement — but do not supplant — benefits provided through private insurances, the Medicaid program, the Supplemental Security Income program, the beneficiary's employer and other resources.

Read more about the ABLE Act of 2011, and take action today!

Creating Hope Act of 2011 (S. 606)

This legislation amends the FDA Amendments Act of 2007, which created an incentive for pharmaceutical companies to develop novel treatments for neglected tropical diseases by providing them with a priority review voucher (PRV). A PRV entitles the company to receive a "priority" six-month review of another new drug application that would otherwise be reviewed under the FDA's standard 10-month review clock. Shaving off four months or more in the review timeframe of a new pharmaceutical could lead to earlier market entry, which is estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars to pharmaceutical companies.

The Creating Hope Act of 2011 expands priority review vouchers to include treatments for pediatric rare diseases, so that there is greater incentive to close the devastating treatment gap for kids.

Read more about the Creating Hope Act of 2011, and take action today!

Fairness in Medicare Bidding Act (H.R. 1041)

The Fairness in Medicare Bidding Act (H.R. 1041), or FIMBA, is a bipartisan bill to repeal the Medicare competitive acquisition program for durable medical equipment, and prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS). This bill protects patients' access to medically required equipment and services, helping patients and their families in maintaining good health and independence in their community. The elimination of the bidding program protects the ability of Medicare beneficiaries to go to providers of choice and ensures that the same high quality of services and equipment is maintained.

Read more about the Fairness in Medicare Bidding Act, and reach out to your local member of Congress!

Medicare Competitive Bidding Feedback Wanted

On January 1, 2011, nine metropolitan areas implemented Medicare’s newly established “competitive bidding” durable medical equipment providers for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS). In some cases, this newly implemented system resulted in a change in DME provider access and equipment approval procedures.

The nine metropolitan areas include: Charlotte, N.C.; Cincinnati, Cleveland; Dallas-Fort Worth; Kansas City, Mo.; Miami; Orlando; Pittsburgh and Riverside, Calif. An additional 91 regions are scheduled to implement the new Medicare regulations later in 2011.

If you live in one of the nine areas affected and have experienced a change in your durable medical equipment provider, or access to prescribed equipment and repairs, we encourage you to share your experiences — both positive and negative — with us by emailing advocacy@mdausa.org, or calling your local MDA office and speaking to your local health care service coordinator.

Your feedback will ensure that MDA is able to remain an effective voice for our MDA community.