AAHomecare Convenes Hi Tech Work Group to Develop Payer Strategies

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 5, 2017)—As home medical equipment providers and manufacturers seek better ways to improve patient outcomes, they are frustrated by reimbursement methodologies that lag behind innovations in products and services. To address this issue, AAHomecare has convened a new Hi Tech Work Group to develop strategies to encourage payers to consider alternate reimbursement models that will allow for increased payments for advanced technologies that lead to better clinical outcomes.

The group will focus on how the industry can work together to bring new technology into the market, enable the effective adoption and use of the technology within the HME and health care continuum, promote operational efficiencies and make sure that providers are appropriately paid for effectively employing these new technologies.

“This work group is one more example of how the industry works together to help provide quality care in the home for the patients we collectively serve with our services and products,“ notes Maura Toole, Director of Field Marketing with Philips Healthcare, who is chairing the group.

The new work group’s initial focus will be on examining new and emerging technologies that can deliver measurable benefits for both HME patients and payers, such as reduced readmissions, and strategizing on how to get payer groups to consider increased reimbursements or new payment models that take these improved outcomes into account.

The group, comprised of a cross-section of providers and manufacturers, had its initial conference call in mid-December and will continue to meet regularly.

Visit aahomecare.org for more information.