Hobson, Ford Call for Repeal of Reimbursement Cuts

Washington

Reps. David Hobson, R-Ohio, and Harold Ford Jr., D-Tenn., have introduced a bill to rescind the Medicare reimbursement cuts scheduled for January 2005.

Set out in the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA), the cuts align pricing of five DME categories — including oxygen and wheelchairs — with rates based on Federal Employee Health Benefits Plans (FEHBP) median pricing, and an Office of Inspector General (OIG) report on oxygen due out later this summer.

After a lobbying day in June during the American Association for Homecare’s Legislative Conference, H.R. 4491 picked up nine co-sponsors, including Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mont., the Majority Whip; Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, R-N.Y.; Rep. Jeb Bradley, R-N.H.; Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn.; Rep. Virgil Goode, R-Va.; Rep. Steven LaTourette, R-Ohio; Rep. Jim Nussle, R-Iowa; Rep. Peter Visclosky, R-Ind.; and Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark., who owns an HME company in Prescott.

“AAHomecare has been working hard to educate policymakers about the negative impact of the pricing changes in MMA, and the bill introduced by Rep. Hobson and Rep. Ford represents a great step forward for patients who need these therapies and equipment and for the organizations that provide them,” said Kay Cox, association president and CEO.

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