Action Center
Resources
United Spinal Association encourages everyone to get involved and be an advocate and activist. We can facilitate change but only if we actively pursue it.
Mobilization
The District Mobilization Initiative is focused on two primary goals: recruiting committed advocates all across the country who will commit to sending United Spinal’s action alerts to their members of Congress, and having those advocates serve as ambassadors for the SCI/D community with their lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
Priorities
We focus resources and expertise on advancing opportunities, social equity, and disability rights for all people living with a spinal cord injury or disease.
Action Alerts
Save Our Catheters and Ostomy Supplies
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to include catheters, ostomy, and tracheostomy supplies in a competitive bidding program, which could dramatically limit choices and access to essential products. You can help stop this by urging your member of Congress to sign a letter led by Representatives Dunn and Murphy opposing the CMS proposal.
Hands Off Medicaid
Congress is currently fast-tracking a bill that would cut over $800 billion from Medicaid, jeopardizing the essential healthcare, personal care, and home and community-based services that many families, seniors, and people with disabilities rely on. You must contact your members of Congress now and urge them to save Medicaid before the House votes on the Senate’s version of the bill.
Save Critical Spinal Cord Injury Research Program at Department of Defense
The Spinal Cord Injury Research Program (SCIRP) was established by Congress in 2009, in part as a response to the high rates of spinal cord injury observed in warfighters returning home from duty. The Congressional intent was to establish a program to enhance the long-term care of wounded soldiers. The entire $40 million for SCIRP funding was eliminated for fiscal year 2025. Take action now to restore these critical research and development investments.
Help Our SCI Model Systems
The Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems program, a crucial resource for individuals with SCI for 55 years, faces significant funding challenges despite a recent increase in the number of funded centers. United Spinal is advocating for increased Congressional funding in the 2026 appropriations bill to ensure vital programs can continue to provide comprehensive care, conduct essential research, and disseminate critical information effectively.
National Action for Wheelchair Repair Reform
Ask your members of Congress to support legislation to address systemic issues in the wheelchair repair process. We support including provisions that would:
- Remove prior authorization requirements for Medicare Advantage Plans for CRT repair.
- Create a model to evaluate the benefits/costs of covering preventive maintenance.
- Reimburse wheelchair repair technicians’ transportation costs.
- Provide us an expected timeline for repairs.
- Build a list of wheelchair components that we can repair, or have repaired, ourselves
Safer Accessible Parking & More Economical Paratransit
Wheelchair users across the United States face significant obstacles in their daily travel due to outdated federal standards. For drivers, accessible parking is a critical issue; current ADA standards for accessible parking spaces are woefully inadequate. Accessible paratransit services are hampered by decades-old federal standards that permit lengthy pick-up and drop-off times, severely limiting productivity.
To address these urgent concerns, new legislation is planned to produce data supporting updates to ADA accessible parking standards. Additionally, legislative language will be introduced for a one-stop paratransit pilot program to allow brief, essential stops during trips and to improve pedestrian access.
