These remarks were made at a conference of the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP), California’s state health insurance assistance program for Medicare beneficiaries. The purpose of the presentation was to highlight the needs of Medicare beneficiaries younger than 65 whose eligibility is based on disability, not age. One key topic is the way Medicare treats coverage for mobility equipment, like wheelchairs. Though some of the issues raised here may have been addressed, it appears that Medicare's counterproductive approach to wheelchair coverage remains in effect.

                                                                                                                                                             --LRM, 2017