CMS Approves ARPA Relief for DME in Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio (March 31, 2022)—Late last Friday, the Ohio Dept. of Medicaid (ODM) announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) had approved the state’s plans to distribute federal American Rescue Plan relief for home and community-based service (HCBS) providers, including durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers.

The CMS approval paves the way for Ohio DME suppliers to receive a 10% retroactive lump sum payment based on the claim period 7/01/2020 through 6/30/2021. CMS has approved reimbursements based on fee-for-service claims; approval for managed care-based claims is pending.

Per the announcement, EFT payments are expected to post this week, with paper checks distributed next week.

“OAMES executive director Kam Yuricich and her team deserve a great deal of credit for their work with Ohio Medicaid officials and state legislators to ensure that DME was included in this relief package,” said Laura Williard, AAHomecare vice president of payer relations. “Thanks to this persistent engagement with policymakers, Ohio suppliers will receive a significant measure of relief that recognizes their exceptional contributions supporting patients during the COVID-19 pandemic and will allow them to further strengthen their ability to provide high-quality, home-based care to their communities. I’m very impressed with OAMES’ achievement and I’m proud of AAHomecare’s role supporting this effort.”

Providers supplying HME and supplies, home modifications and other services through the state’s PASSPORT and Ohio Home Care programs have already received a 10% lump sum distribution based on claims for 11/01/2020 through 10/31/2021. 

See OAMES’ announcement and this ODM relief summary grid for more details.