United Spinal Association of Nebraska

10/22/2026

For a decade, wheelchair users on Medicare who wanted a titanium or carbon fiber frame have had to cover the entire cost themselves.

That's changing. On Sept. 30, the Senate passed the Choices for Increased Mobility Act (H.R. 1703). It cleared the House in July, and now it heads to the president's desk. Once it becomes law, Medicare must create separate billing codes for carbon fiber and titanium frames by Jan. 1, 2028, so you pay only the difference for an ultralight frame. It costs taxpayers nothing.

This happened because of you. Advocates carried this bill into congressional offices at Roll on Capitol Hill, then kept the pressure on with messages to their senators. Thank you to Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Rep. John Joyce, R-Pa., for leading the way.

We'll keep you posted as the bill is signed and as Medicare builds the new codes. Follow along for updates.

10/22/2026

Catheters and ostomy supplies are designed to meet the specific needs of each person who needs them. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services plans to shrink the marketplace for these products to 7 or 8 suppliers. This will result in hundreds of suppliers going out of business and many products disappearing from shelves.

Fortunately, we still have time to stop this plan from going into effect.

United Spinal supports the Access to Medical Supplies Act (H.R. 10787) which would exclude these supplies from competitive bidding for five years and give CMS time to do a more comprehensive evaluation of the impact. Send our action alert to your representatives today.

Catheters and ostomy supplies are highly individualized prosthetic devices designed to meet the needs of each person who needs them. The plan by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to artificially shrink the marketplace for these...

10/21/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/19k4kAr8PG/

10/14/2026

This October 20th as part of our monthly Nebraska Advocacy Online Meetups, we will be hosting a guest speaker - Joni Thomas of Tectonic Change talk about accessible voter education.

Voting rights. Accessible voting options. Vote with confidence.

Please take the time to sign up now and be ready to join in on the 20th at 7pm:
https://www.unitedspinalne.org/event-details-registration/ne-advocacy-meetup-on-google-meet-2

More information:
REV UP Eastern Nebraska offers free, nonpartisan voter-education events on Zoom for people with disabilities, families, service providers, and community members in the Lincoln and Omaha areas and throughout Eastern Nebraska. Participants will learn about voting rights, accessible voting options, and how to vote with confidence.

Funded by an AAPD REV UP Movement Grant, Tectonic Change, Inc., presents these events in partnership with Disability Rights Nebraska, the League of Women Voters, and Civic Nebraska.
Tectonic Change, Inc. is a Nebraska nonprofit organization working to change attitudes about disability and increase recognition of the value people with disabilities bring to
workplaces and communities.

Tectonic Change blurb:
Most businesses are losing customers, talent, and money and don't know it. Their doors, websites, and hiring practices aren't working for everyone. Tectonic Change brings training, assessments, and presentations grounded in lived experience. We show organizations how to be usable by all, hire and keep great employees with disabilities, and learn the truth about what accommodations really cost.

10/10/2026

Your voice needs to be heard at the voters box!
https://www.tectonicchangeinc.org/events?fldMonth=&fldEventID=1243003&fbclid=IwVERDUAU3h5JleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mBXNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHudKJey4zGsDIl2p-mKMnc_l4zmnFjFld0uwiwmsRFC-VUGpdYJ4pRIB53Xx_aem_6MZSGlKUSDgsn32eKPllNw

Voter Education Training! Sponsored by REVUP (Register Educate Vote Use you Power) is coming to Nebraska. Register NOW

10/06/2026

Thanks to the Neilsen Foundation, United Spinal is accepting applications for Disaster Relief grants for individuals with spinal cord injury/disease (SCI/D) who have been impacted by natural disasters in 2026. If you were impacted by the recent flood in Omaha, click the link below for more information.

Disaster Relief grants for individuals with spinal cord injury/disease (SCI/D) who have been impacted by natural or human-caused disasters.

10/01/2026

Read about the Nebraska chapter on

Explore how the United Spinal Nebraska chapter connects members across rural distances through shared support, virtual education, and local events.