Baltimore
After receiving a bad report card on its home-based waiver
program, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services sent a
letter to all state Medicaid directors urging them to improve
beneficiaries' access to medical equipment.
In a July 7 report, the U.S. General Accounting Office said that
lack of oversight and substandard care plague waiver programs that
are designed to move beneficiaries home from an institution.
Seeming to respond to that report, CMS suggested to states ways to
provide medical equipment to beneficiaries prior to the transition
home.
“Purchases of [medical equipment] are typically made after
the individual has moved into the community,” CMS told the
Medicaid directors. “However, the delay in receiving and
adapting to such equipment often causes hardships for the
individual and/or caregiver.”
The letter went on to clarify the avenues through which states
may achieve the above goal. Specifically, CMS suggested that:
- states could arrange for manufacturers and other sellers of HME
to make the equipment available for a trial period prior to
community placement - states could pay for some HME provided prior to a beneficiary's
discharge using a home- and community-based services waiver;
and - states could pay for some HME prior to a beneficiary's
discharge from an institution by evoking the nursing facility
benefit.
For breaking news, go to www.homecaremonday.com, the electronic news service
of the home medical equipment industry.
