CMS Releases Annual ESRD Proposed Rule, DMEPOS Absent

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 1, 2015)—This time last year, CMS used their annual proposed rule on end stage renal disease payments to also announce their intent to adjust Medicare payment rates in areas outside the competitive bidding areas. Commonly referred to as the ESRD rule, those working in the HME regulatory space know this proposed rule often includes major DMEPOS regulations. Last year, in addition to the rural cuts, the rule included a worrying proposal on bidding product bundles.

That’s why last Friday, HME stakeholders were glued to their inboxes as CMS issued their annual rule regarding payment rates for end stage renal disease facilities for CY 2016. However, after multiple reads of the rule, additional information related to DMEPOS was noticeably absent. Read the CMS Fact Sheet on the 2016 ESRD Rule. Some stakeholders had speculated that CMS was getting ready to release more information on their intentions around bundling, however nothing materialized. AAHomecare will keep the industry appraised as new updates become available.
—via AAHomecare Wednesday in Washington