For 1st Time, Medicare Funds Israeli Device That Lets Paraplegics Walk

The US federal health insurance program Medicare has for the first time made a payment for Israeli-made exoskeleton ReWalk, a wearable robotic device that allows paraplegics to walk again. 

The ReWalk Personal Exoskeleton provides powered hip and knee motion for people with a spinal cord injury (SCI), allowing them to stand upright, walk, turn, and climb up and down stairs. 

The payment of $94,617 to ReWalk was made via Medicare administrative contractor Noridian Healthcare Solutions and signals the federal agency’s division to recognize the ReWalk Personal Exoskeleton as a medically necessary device for people with an SCI.  

A November 2023 change in the Medicare rules on its brace benefit category, which took effect on January 1, 2024, meant that ReWalk was now eligible for funding by the healthcare provider and could be funded in a complete single payment.  

Medicare grants health insurance to Americans primarily over the age of 65, but also to younger people with disabilities who are recognized by the Social Security Administration.

“This recent payment for a ReWalk Personal Exoskeleton by the Medicare program represents an achievement for the paralyzed community and reinforces the medical necessity of the ReWalk Exoskeleton for eligible individuals with SCI,” said Larry Jasinski, CEO of ReWalk Robotics. 

“We are thrilled to see that ReWalk’s years of collaboration and coordination, working in tandem with Medicare representatives, health care providers, lawmakers, and members of the SCI community, are beginning to come to fruition. 

“We look forward to continuing our work with Medicare now that the 2024 Home Health Rule, which codifies a clear coverage pathway for personal exoskeletons, has gone into effect on January 1, 2024.”