Project Grant R01AG100010

The National Institute on Aging awarded Vanderbilt University Medical Center $610,523 on September 1, 2026, under the Aging Research program (CFDA 93.866) to examine how declines in power wheelchair vendors have affected Medicare and Medicaid beneficiary access to equipment and mobility.

The study uses national Medicare and Medicaid claims data, vendor ownership records, and home health assessments to describe changes in power wheelchair vendor availability and ownership between 2007 and 2024; assess whether reductions in vendor supply correlated with decreased power wheelchair use and repair utilization in Medicare; and evaluate whether declines in wheelchair use associated with reduced vendor availability produced disparate health impacts on dual-eligible beneficiaries navigating conflicting Medicare and Medicaid coverage rules. The research addresses documented vendor consolidation—the number of wheelchair vendors in traditional Medicare fell by more than half between 2013 and 2021—and associated beneficiary harms including extended wait times for wheelchair delivery and repairs, constrained mobility, delayed access to medical appointments, and increased risk of falls, pressure ulcers, and contractures.

Performance occurs in Forest Hills, Tennessee, with a period of performance from September 1, 2026, through May 31, 2031. The award is classified as a Project Grant, a standard assistance type under the National Institute on Aging's mission to support biomedical and behavioral research directed toward understanding aging and age-related diseases and needs.