Providers urge removal of prior authorization for complex-rehab repairs and funding for certified wheelchair seating clinics

Representatives of complex rehab technology suppliers, the Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation (CPRF) and family members testified that prior authorization delays and frequent denials by Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) are leaving medically necessary wheelchairs, replacements and custom seating unavailable for Kansans with severe physical disabilities.

Wayne Graub, executive director of the National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology (NCART), told the Committee that repair prior authorizations can take about 17 days and that 98.2 percent of prior authorizations are ultimately approved nationally. He said the delay forces suppliers to re‑visit consumers and prolongs unsafe situations where power chairs or critical components…