March | In This Issue:
Prior Authorization, Simplified: What Your Patients Need to Know
Are your patients ready for a new wheelchair or need a repair to their mobility equipment? Navigating prior authorization requirements with their health insurance carrier can be one of the most confusing parts of the process. At National Seating & Mobility (NSM), we understand the challenges-and we want to help make the process feel less frustrating and more manageable for your patients.
Now that 2026 is underway, it's an ideal opportunity to encourage patients to review their equipment needs, insurance coverage, and prior authorization requirements early-helping set them up for success throughout 2026. Having these conversations now can help prevent unnecessary delays and stress down the road.
What is Prior Authorization?
Prior authorization is basically asking your patient's health insurance carrier or plan to agree to pay for new equipment or a repair to their existing equipment BEFORE anything is ordered. Be aware that some insurance carriers may not require prior authorization in some cases, so it's important to learn what your patient's health insurance carrier requires.
The prior authorization process involves several steps and types of documentation, including:
- A prescription for CRT equipment,
- A seating evaluation to determine the best CRT equipment for your patient's needs,
- An equipment estimate that details the cost of the equipment your patient needs, and
- A Letter of Medical Necessity
Once your patient submits the required documentation to their health insurance carrier, which will review it and either approve or deny the request based on their specific guidelines for coverage.
Why Earlier in the Year Is a Smart Time to Think About Prior Authorization
Many insurance plans reset deductibles and coverage terms at the beginning of the year. Taking time now to check your patient's benefits, understand documentation requirements, and start prior authorization requests early can help your patients avoid processing delays later when they might need their equipment most. Early planning builds peace of mind and helps keep your patient's mobility goals on track.
Requirement 1: Prescription for CRT Equipment
What It Is: A prescription from your patient's physician stating that you need to be evaluated for a mobility device. Your patient must have a prescription to set up a seating evaluation or request a repair. Most health plans require an in-person appointment with your patient's physician that is focused on their mobility needs.
Who's Responsible: Your patient's doctor
Requirement 2: Seating Evaluation
What It Is: An assessment performed by YOU or your patient's ATP to evaluate your patient's physical and functional needs to help determine the best mobility solutions for their needs and lifestyle.
Who's Responsible: You - their therapist (physical or occupational) or physiatrist, and ATP
Requirement 3: Equipment Quote
What It Is: After your seating evaluation, your patient's CRT equipment supplier will create a detailed list of the recommended equipment and their associated costs.
Who's Responsible: Your CRT supplier
Requirement 4: Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN)
What It Is: A formal letter or document that justifies your patient's need for the prescribed mobility equipment, explaining how it addresses your patient's specific condition, diagnosis and functional limitations. This is completed after your patient's seating evaluation.
Who's Responsible: You, your patient's physical or occupational therapist or physiatrist
Once the required information has been collected, it will be submitted to your patient's insurance carrier for funding review and approval. Documents usually cannot be submitted independently, so know what your patient's insurance provider requires and keep track of any missing documentation so your patient can follow up with the appropriate person.
What About Repairs?
When it comes to repairs, many insurance carriers or health plans also require prior authorization before ordering parts to fix the problem. Other documentation requirements that health insurance carriers commonly require for repairs include:
- An updated prescription or Statement of Continued Medical Necessity,
- A repair assessment conducted by your wheelchair supplier,
- A repair estimate, and
- Proof of Original Purchase.
How Your Patient Can Help
Prior authorization is a team effort! In most cases, your CRT supplier will collect and submit the required documentation to your patient's insurance carrier, but your patient's CRT supplier needs their help to ensure the process runs smoothly. Encourage your patient to seek to understand their health insurance carrier's prior authorization requirements and find ways to support the process. Here are a few ideas of how your patient can help.
- Keep copies of all documentation for their own records.
- Understand their insurance carrier's prior authorization requirements for new equipment and repairs so they can anticipate documentation needs.
- Know who to reach out to if a requirement is missing. Encourage your patient to stay in contact with their funding specialist so they can quickly follow up on any missing items.
- Be proactive. Encourage your patient to request that your doctor, health care provider or you, their therapist, senda information to your wheelchair provider as quickly as possible. As the insured person, your patient should follow up with their health insurance carrier once prior authorization has been submitted and ask that the decision be expedited.
- Be prepared. Be sure your patient communicates with your wheelchair provider quickly if there are any updates or changes to their coverage. If they change insurance carriers during the process, understand that all of your patients' information will have to be gathered and resubmitted to their new health insurance carrier, slowing down the process of getting new equipment or a repair.
Look Ahead, Stay Informed
Efforts to reduce administrative barriers and streamline the prior authorization process are underway industry-wide. Some health plans have pledged to cut back on prior authorization requirements and speed up decisions by 2026.
Staying informed about changes at both the insurance-carrier and policy-level can help you advocate for yourself and work with NSM to navigate these evolving requirements.
If you have questions about how prior authorization might affect your new equipment or repairs this year, your NSM team is here to help-just reach out.
SAVE THE DATE: Momentum Academy is Back!
Earn CE Credits, Explore Latest Assistive Technology and SO Much More!
Get ready to learn, connect, and be inspired! Momentum Academy is coming soon, bringing together clinicians, referral partners, and mobility experts for a high-energy day of education, collaboration, and innova
Discover practical strategies, hear from industry leaders, and gain insights that will help you make an even bigger impact for your clients. This is your chance to connect, grow, and be part of the momentum shaping the future of mobility and independence.
📅 Mark your calendar now — you won’t want to miss it!
This year's Momentum Academy event schedule is as follows.
- Denver, CO: Thursday, April 16 ~ Click Here to Register
- Austin, TX: Thursday, April 23
- Washington, DC: Wednesday, May 20
- Boston, MA: Friday, June 5
- Detroit, MI: Friday, August 21
- Concord, CA: Tuesday, September 1
- Chicago, IL: Thursday, September 24
- Charlotte, NC: Wednesday, October 1
- Seattle, WA: Thursday, October 15
Full details and registration info coming soon.
March Product Spotlights
This month's Product Spotlight shines a light on a mix of important updates and exciting innovations!
Rifton Adaptive Tricyle
Rifton Adaptive TricyleRest when you need it, ride when you're ready! We're excited to announce a NEW freewheel feature for the Rifton Adaptive Tricycle! The freewheel allows caregivers to disconnect the pedals from the drivetrain so the tricycle can coast while the pedals stay stationary. This provides the opportunity for the rider to rest when tired or needing to be transported quickly, while remaining seated on the tricycle. The tricycle can switch between drive mode and freewheel mode easily with the flick of a switch near the rear wheels.
We've also added new high traction tires designed to improve wheel traction on outdoor surfaces such as gravel, woodchips, dirt or mud. They improve the experience of rougher outdoor riding, but roll equally well on hard, smooth surfaces due to a smooth center band. The tires are durable and made of solid urethane foam. High traction tires are retrofittable on all old X300 tricycles.
Contact your local NSM branch representative to learn more!
Quantum Edge 4
Quantum Edge 4You wanted a mid-wheel drive that could better handle various terrain and everyday obstacles. You asked and Quantum® listened. With fully independent suspension and 7-inch casters the Edge 4 can not only navigate more terrain than any other mid-wheel drive but it does so with an outstandingly smooth and comfortable ride.
Need to turn it up more? By adding our larger, community tires, the Edge 4 gains even more capability making it the perfect solution for users who need great mobility both indoors and outdoors. The Edge 4 with community tires is a great package for those who live in rural areas, spend a lot of time outdoors, or need IADL completion but still want drivability for indoor use as well.
Contact your local NSM branch representative to learn more!
Permobil Power Chair with Power Platform
Permobil Power Chair with Power PlatformPermobil power chairs, with power platform, now offer Foot Support Optimization, a new feature designed to improve articulation and leg length alignment in both retracted and extended leg rest positions.
Contact your local NSM branch representative to learn more!
Sunrise Medical Empulse R90
Sunrise Medical Empulse R90Upper limb overuse and repetitive strain injuries are common among manual wheelchair users, particularly when endurance, inclines, and speed demands exceed functional capacity.
For clients who are unable to meet daily mobility goals due to pain, fatigue, weakness, or environmental challenges, a power add-on device may support continued independence while reducing physical demand, while still allowing active manual wheelchair use.
The Empulse R90 provides push-assist support through intuitive, push-button speed control and adjustable performance profiles. The compact design maintains the wheelchair’s footprint and turning radius, while the wheel-up function allows zero rolling resistance when power assist is not required. Using the Sunrise Intelligence app, clinicians can tailor speed, torque, and slope thresholds to match the user’s weight and functional environment.
As with all mobility products, Sunrise Medical recommends a full seating and mobility assessment by an experienced therapist to determine appropriateness and long-term outcomes.
Contact your local NSM branch representative to learn more!
NSM Helps Take the Hassle Out of Managing Medical Supplies
We work with your patient's insurance, healthcare providers and top manufacturers to keep their supplies coming - seamlessly.
For caregivers and those who rely on home medical supplies, managing your patients’ supply needs and shipments can quickly become a full-time job. National Seating & Mobility (NSM) is already a trusted partner for Complex Rehabilitation Technology (CRT) users, and we’re here to help take the stress and hassle out of coordinating medical supplies for your patients—so they can focus on what matters most: their care and quality of life.
In addition to mobility solutions and home accessibility products, NSM also offers a wide range of home medical supplies, including incontinence, urological, and enteral products. Our goal is to create a customized experience that works for both you and your patients, helping simplify the process of managing ongoing medical supply needs.
Medical Supplies & NSM
At NSM, we want to help your patients live life on their own terms. We're dedicated to helping them maintain their independence and self-reliance, and our comprehensive selection of home medical supplies is one of the many ways we do that.
Whether your patient is looking for enteral, urological or incontinence supplies, our dedicated customer care team is specifically trained to guide them through the process and design a tailored medical supplies plan that fits their needs and streamlines their lives by making sure they never run out.
At NSM, we work with all major manufacturers to meet your medical supplies needs, including:
- Enteral: Medical supplies such as feeding tubes or bags, pumps or formula that deliver nutrition to clients who can't swallow safely.
- Urological: Medical supplies that help clients with urological needs such as catheters, tubing and more.
- Incontinence: Products designed to support individuals with incontinence needs.
How It Works
We're committed to making sure your patients have the supplies they need when they need them - and we understand the importance of never running out. Here's how it works:
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- Connect with the NSM Medical Supplies team. Call (844) 292-8887 or email the Medical Supplies Care Team at SuppliesReferral@nsm-seating.com. They'll walk you through the process step by step.
- Trust us with the paperwork. Our experienced team understands the process of working with insurance carriers to gather the necessary insurance documentation to set up a recurring order. NSM works with most major insurance plans, and our knowledgeable Medical Supplies Care Team members will handle the documentation process from start to finish. Clients work with the same team member throughout the journey, making the process even easier.
- Your patient's products are delivered to their door. After their order is set up in the system, it will arrive at their door on a regular schedule, so they always have the supplies they depend on. Their next shipment will arrive a few days before their last order runs out, so they never have to go without vital medical supplies.
- We'll create an ongoing, customized plan that ensures your patients have the products they need when they need them. As their paperwork expires, our Medical Supplies Care Team will work with them and their healthcare providers to update their documentation to ensure the shipments they depend on continue.
Learn How NSM Can Ease the Stress of Getting Your Patient's Needed Medical Supplies
Access to your patient's medical supplies can sometimes mean the difference between life and death - and we understand that at NSM. We strive to take the stress and worry of juggling their medical supplies needs off their shoulders. Whether your patient needs enteral, incontinence or urology supplies, we're here to make their life a little easier. Learn More
Client Spotlight: Cheryl Angelelli
Helping more people fall in love with dancing!
Wheelchair ballroom dancer. Paralympic swimmer. Model. Dog mom. You could write a story from Cheryl Angelelli's Instagram profile alone. A world-class wheelchair ballroom dancer and a Paralympic medalist, Angelelli helped to found Dance Mobility, a wheelchair dancing program that offers dance lessons to adults and children with disabilities in the Detroit area.
In 1996, Angelelli, then working as a journalist, traveled to Atlanta to cover the 1996 Paralympics. She'd heard about the Paralympics, but she didn't understand the elite level of the competition until she saw it for herself. She set a goal to make the U.S. swim team and compete at the Paralympics in 2000.
She loved dancing so much that she wanted to find a way to share it with more people. Armed with an idea, Angelelli approached the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan Foundation with a request to start a wheelchair ballroom dancing program-and Dance Mobility was born.