For the past ten years, if a wheelchair user has wanted to purchase a wheelchair with a frame made from carbon fiber or titanium, they have been forced by bureaucratic rules to pay the full cost out of pocket. This is because in 2016, the private insurers that process durable medical equipment claims for Medicare created a new policy that prohibited wheelchair suppliers from being able to bill for just the cost of an upgraded frame.

The good news is there is a bill in Congress to fix this problem. The Choices for Increased Mobility Act (H.R. 1703/S. 247) would explicitly require Medicare to create new codes to allow suppliers to bill consumers for just the cost of the upgrade to an ultralight manual wheelchair. This bill is sponsored in the House by Reps. John Joyce (R-PA), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), and Kim Schrier (D-WA), and in the Senate by Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL).

This common sense bill costs taxpayers nothing while saving consumers a lot of money, simply by changing the coding rules. We know these ultralight wheelchairs have health benefits, as they significantly reduce the wear and tear on wheelchair users' shoulders and wrists when pushing, and are easier to lift into cars.

This bill passed the House of Representatives on July 20, 2026 by voice vote. The next step is for this bill to pass the Senate.

Please contact your Representatives to thank them for supporting this bill, and contact your Senators today to ask them to support this common sense bill!