AAHomecare Tackles Payment Update Cut

During last month’s markup of the House Energy and Commerce
Committee health care reform bill, an amendment from Rep. Gene
Green, D-Texas, would reduce the Medicare DME fee schedule payment
update by 0.5 percent in 2010-2013 in order to provide additional
reimbursement for Part B cancer drugs. The association reported it
is working with Green’s office to find an alternative offset and
believes the payment cut will be eliminated from the legislation
once the three House committees — Ways and Means and
Education and Labor also have jurisdiction — merge their
health reform bills in September. Stay tuned.