H.R. 1703: Choices for Increased Mobility Act of 2026
Sponsor
John Joyce
Republican · PA-13
Medicare patients deserve a clear path to titanium chairs
Why it matters
H.R. 1703 passed the House by voice vote and now sits with the Senate Finance Committee. Starting January 1, 2028, Medicare would bill titanium and carbon fiber wheelchair frames under their own codes, and you could pay the supplier the difference to get one.
Medicare sorts equipment by billing codes, and each code has a payment amount attached. Right now the bill's target, the base of an ultralightweight manual wheelchair, is not coded by what it is made of.
H.R. 1703 changes that for chairs furnished on or after January 1, 2028. HHS must create at least two codes for these bases: one or more for titanium or carbon fiber frames, and one or more for frames without those materials.
If you pick a titanium or carbon fiber chair, Medicare pays the supplier what it would pay for that wheelchair anyway, and the supplier can charge you the rest. The bill does not raise Medicare's payment and does not cap what the supplier can charge on top.
Take a hypothetical: if a supplier's price runs $1,200 above Medicare's payment amount, that $1,200 comes out of your pocket. The same rule applies whether you buy the chair or rent it.
The bill's one safeguard is disclosure. HHS may require suppliers to tell you about that extra cost before you buy or rent, in a form HHS sets. The notice is optional for the agency, so whether you see the price gap in writing before signing depends on how HHS writes the rules.
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Sep 30, 2026
Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S5299)
H.R. 1703 Bill Summary
What H.R. 1703 actually does.
Titanium and carbon fiber frames get their own Medicare codes
HHS must create at least two billing codes for ultralightweight manual wheelchair bases, split by material: one or more for titanium or carbon fiber, and one or more for everything else.
Medicare's payment stays the same
For a titanium or carbon fiber chair, Medicare pays the supplier on the same schedule and in the same amount it would otherwise pay for that wheelchair.
You can pay the difference to get the lighter chair
A supplier may charge you the gap between its actual price and Medicare's payment amount. The bill sets no limit on that gap.
A possible warning before you sign
HHS may require suppliers to notify you of your potential out-of-pocket cost before a purchase or rental, in a form and manner the agency decides.
Covers rentals and purchases from 2028
The rules apply to chairs bought or rented on or after January 1, 2028.
Who benefits from H.R. 1703?
Medicare patients who self-propel all day
People who push their own chairs and want the lightest available frame would have a defined way to get one through Medicare by paying the price difference.
People weighing a chair purchase or rental
Separate codes make it clear on paper which frame you are getting and what Medicare is covering. If HHS requires the notice, you would see your share before committing.
Suppliers and makers of premium-material chairs
Titanium and carbon fiber frames would have a distinct billing category and an explicit rule for charging patients above Medicare's payment.
Who is affected by H.R. 1703?
Beneficiaries who choose titanium or carbon fiber
You may owe the full difference between the supplier's price and Medicare's payment, with no cap in the bill, in addition to your normal Medicare cost-sharing.
Wheelchair suppliers
Suppliers would bill under the material-based codes and may have to give patients an advance cost notice if HHS requires one.
HHS and Medicare
The agency must set up the new codes before January 1, 2028, and decide whether and how to require the patient notice.
What Congress Is Saying
H.R. 1703 has come up 13 times in the Congressional Record so far.
H.R. 1703 also appeared in 1 more House floor reference and 8 routine cosponsor filings.
HR1703 Legislative Journey
Passed
Sep 30, 2026
Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S5299)
+3 more actions this day
Committee Action
Jul 21, 2026
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
House: Vote: 4636-4637
Jul 20, 2026
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4636-4637)
House: Committee Action
Jul 18, 2026
Committee on Ways and Means discharged.
House: Vote: 45-0
May 21, 2026
Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 45 - 0.
House: Vote Held
May 13, 2026
Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote.
House: Committee Action
Feb 27, 2026
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
House: Committee Action
Feb 27, 2025
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
About the Sponsor
John Joyce
Republican, Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district · 7 years in Congress
Committees: Energy and Commerce
View full profile →
Cosponsors (10)
This bill has 10 cosponsors: 4 Democrats, 6 Republicans, reflecting bipartisan support. Cosponsors represent 8 states: District of Columbia, Florida, Massachusetts, and 5 more.
Committee Sponsors
Finance Committee
0 of 27 committee members cosponsored
No committee members have cosponsored this bill
Energy and Commerce Committee
1 of 54 committee members cosponsored
69 Republicans across these committees haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
What laws does H.R. 1703 change?
1 changes
Sections Amended
Section 1834(a) of Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(a))
adding at the end the following new paragraph: ``(24) Special rules related to treatment of certain manual wheelchairs
H.R. 1703 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Finance
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Health
- Introduced
- Feb 27, 2025
Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S5299)
Sep 30, 2026
Official Sources
Full text, cosponsors, and every action on the Choices for Increased Mobility Act, including House passage and referral to Senate Finance.
The Medicare durable equipment payment statute the bill amends by adding a new paragraph (24) on manual wheelchairs.
The coding system in which HHS would create separate codes for titanium and carbon fiber wheelchair bases.
Sets the Medicare payment amounts that would continue to apply to titanium and carbon fiber chairs under the bill.
Explains how Part B covers manual wheelchairs today, including the 20% coinsurance that still applies under the bill.
Describes supplier assignment and what suppliers can charge today, the baseline the bill changes for premium-material chairs.
The existing CMS notice model for warning patients about out-of-pocket costs, relevant to the optional notice HHS may require.
The Senate committee now holding H.R. 1703 after House passage.
H.R. 1703 Common Questions
Will Medicare pay for a titanium or carbon fiber wheelchair?
Partly. Medicare pays the supplier what it would pay for that wheelchair anyway. If the titanium or carbon fiber chair costs more, H.R. 1703 lets the supplier charge you the difference.
Is there a limit on what a supplier can charge me above Medicare?
No. The bill lets a supplier charge the full gap between its actual price and Medicare's payment amount and sets no cap on it. Your usual Medicare cost-sharing still applies on top.
What changes in Medicare's wheelchair billing?
HHS must create at least two billing codes for ultralightweight manual wheelchair bases: one or more for titanium or carbon fiber frames and one or more for frames made without them.
When would H.R. 1703 take effect?
It applies to wheelchairs bought or rented on or after January 1, 2028, if it becomes law.
Does it cover renting a wheelchair, or only buying?
Both. The payment rule and the right to charge you the difference apply to purchases and rentals alike.
Will I be told the extra cost before I sign?
Possibly. HHS may require suppliers to notify you of your potential out-of-pocket cost before you buy or rent. The bill does not make that notice mandatory on its own.
Where is H.R. 1703 in Congress?
The House passed it by voice vote on July 20, 2026. It went to the Senate the next day and sits with the Senate Finance Committee. It needs Senate passage and a signature to become law.
Based on H.R. 1703 bill text
H.R. 1703 Bill Text
“To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to clarify payment rules for manual wheelchairs under part B of the Medicare program.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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