State Legislative Activity
Legislative hearing season is upon us. State legislatures are holding public hearings to get the public’s position on legislation. This is a standard but essential part of the legislative process to ensure that all voices are heard. The National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology and our members have been participating in the hearing process in Illinois, Oregon, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. We have 17 different state bills that we have been engaged in this year. The bills deal with the right to repair, eliminating prior authorization for repairs and expansion of coverage for Complex Rehab Technology products and services. We want to thank the iNRRTS Executive Director and board for supporting the CRT industry legislative efforts.
Legislative Site Visits
One of the most impactful ways to communicate the value of CRT to legislators is to host them at your facility for a site visit. This past month’s legislative meetings have once again proven that legislators do not understand the CRT industry or the value our members bring to the lives of individuals who utilize CRT equipment. A site visit gives you an hour to educate the legislators about the products, services, and obstacles you face in providing CRT services to their constituents. A perfect time to host these visits is during the summer recess for both state and federal legislators.
To start the process, simply call the legislator’s office (federal or state) and ask to speak to the legislator’s scheduler. The legislator has certain weeks to set aside for in-district or in-state work to meet with constituents. We encourage all of our members to consider a site visit, and if you need materials, don’t hesitate to contact NCART.
Washington DC Legislative Fly in
NCART, iNRRTS, and US Rehab will be hosting Washington DC. Legislative Fly-in on Sept. 16-17, 2025. After a successful 2024 Legislative Fly-in, the CRT industry needs to keep up our good work with the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. There are a lot of different programs being discussed in Washington right now, and we need to ensure that anything that is being debated that may have a positive or negative impact on CRT is discussed with legislators. We encourage everyone to put a hold on these dates to add your voice to our legislative efforts.
Thank you
Andrea Madsen and I want to take this opportunity to thank the NCART and iNRRTS staff for all their hard work and dedication to keeping our organizations running smoothly. We both run small organizations that are very busy with many projects, deadlines, and strategic objectives. We could not focus on these things if we did not have incredible staff members. For NCART, this is Julie Piriano and Debi Renehan- 2 amazing people with whom I have the privilege of working every day. For iNRRTS this is Amy Odom, Bill Noelting, Kathy Fisher, Weesie Walker, Lois Bodiford and Sandi Noelting.
Advocacy Quotes
“There is no greater disability in society than the inability to see a person as more.” ~Robert Hensel
Wayne may be reached at wgrau@ncart.us.
Wayne Grau is the executive director of NCART. His career in the CRT industry spans more than 30 years and includes working in Rehab Industry Affairs and began working exclusively with Complex Rehab companies. Grau graduated from Baylor University with an MBA in healthcare. He’s excited to be working exclusively with CRT manufacturers, providers, and the individuals we serve who use CRT equipment.