Rural Relief Legislation Moving Forward

WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 12, 2017)—Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) has been working on legislation to provide relief for non-CB areas and address the “double-dip” cuts on oxygen; you can see a draft of the legislation here. Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa) will be the Democratic lead on the bill. The legislation would effectively roll back the second round of cuts for non-bid area suppliers, effective retroactively to January 1, 2017 and through 2018.

The legislative language would also remedy rate cuts caused by the misapplication of a 2006 budget neutrality offset balancing increased utilization for oxygen generating portable equipment with lower reimbursement for stationary equipment.

Rep. McMorris Rodgers has asked AAHomecare and the HME community to get a strong group of original co-sponsors for the bill, which is currently targeted for introduction in the first week of November. Congressional offices interested in signing on the bill can contact staff in Rep. McMorris Rodgers for more information or to sign on.

Issue briefs are available for use in your Hill conversations; they separately address the different components but point to the singular bill for reform. The issue brief on rural relief is here; the O2 double dip issue brief is here.

Visit aahomecare.org for more information.