Even Competitive Bidding announcements couldn't have killed off the rehab industry as entirely as this recent press release. Israeli industrial design and engineering firm Argo Medical Technologies, has announced the development of the ReWalk Exo-Skeleton.

The exo-skeleton concept is not new, UC Berkeley and Sarcos have prototypes focused on military applications. While impressive, they are bulky and not suitable for everyday living conditions.

The Argo Medical exo-skeleton brace type device is designed to attach to the body of a person with a spinal cord injury and allow that person to stand and walk. Using motors, sensors, and rechargeable batteries, attached to the brace frames and a backpack, the ReWalk is designed to allow users to walk safely with the aid of crutches. A video demo can be seen on Argo's web page.

Besides showing off the new product, Argo also dedicates some room on the website to justifying the financial impact this type of product will have. With the first two years of paraplegia estimated to cost insurance companies 285,941 dollars, the possibility to offset costs promised by the ReWalk at 120,000 dollars per year makes the device rather attractive.

This device would not only make wheelchairs obsolete, it would also kill off the standing frame industry. Argo is hoping to have this device on the market by 2009, do you see a HCPC code assigned to this product in the future? But the real question is: Will this device be included in a competitive bidding carve-out?