WASHINGTON—If unchecked, the new competitive bidding plan created by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) could devastate home medical equipment (HME) providers and hurt patients, the head of the American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) told a congressional committee.
“This would devastate small businesses. It will destabilize the national home medical equipment infrastructure that patients rely on,” AAHomecare President and CEO Tom Ryan testified Jan. 8. “And finally, the proposed bidding methodology will artificially drive payment rates to unsustainable levels, leaving too few suppliers to meet the needs of Medicare beneficiaries.”
Ryan was invited, along with other experts—including National Home Infusion Association (NHIA) President and CEO Connie Sullivan—to speak before the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee on several bills related to Medicare payments.
DMEPOS, Oxygen & Wheelchair Bills Explained
Ryan specifically addressed three of them:
- The DMEPOS Relief Act of 2025 (HR 2005), which would restore relief that expired in 2023 for HME providers in nonbid, nonrural areas currently facing reimbursement cuts of up to 30%. “This is essential for maintaining access to HMe and preserving supplier choices,” Ryan said.
- The Choices for Increased Mobility Act of 2025 (HR 1703), which would allow Medicare recipients to pay out of their own pockets for upgrades to ultralight titanium and carbon fiber wheelchairs, which Medicare doesn’t cover. In discussion with the representatives, he said it was a no-cost solution.
- The Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act of 2025 (HR 2902), which he said addresses longstanding access problems in the Medicare oxygen benefit. “Many patients cannot get the type of oxygen systems that their physicians prescribe,” he said. “The bill creates a sustainable payment methodology for liquid oxygen, strengthens program integrity through a national electronic template, recognizes the essential role of respiratory therapists in reimbursing their services for individuals with COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, heart disease and other diseases.”
Before explaining the bills, he raised concerns about the upcoming bidding round planned by CMS, specifically the fact that it includes ostomy and urological supplies in the bid program despite Congress’s intent that they not be included.
"Home medical equipment keeps people safe, independent, and at home—and it saves Medicare money," Ryan said. "The three bipartisan bills before you today … are practical, targeted solutions that will protect access to care for millions of Medicare beneficiaries.
Home Infusion Bill Considered
Sullivan focused on generating support for the Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act (HR 2172), explaining to the representatives that Medicare’s refusal to pay for pharmacy services as part of the in-home infusion benefit means many treatments are beyond the reach of beneficiaries, even while people with private insurance have access.
The bill would also expand the benefit to improve access to intravenous anti-infective treatment, bundle disposable and supplies into the services payment and recognize nurse practitioners and physician assistants in order home infusion therapy.
“Medicare still does not have a complete home infusion benefit, and this bill addresses a real access problem for America’s seniors and people with disabilities,” Sullivan said. “Without home infusion access, seniors must travel back and forth to facilities or extend their hospital stay to receive these necessary (and often lifesaving) treatments.”
Medicare Cuts Discussed
The other invited speakers were Dan Lipschutz, co-director of law and policy for the Center for Medicare Advocacy, and Susan Van Meter, president of the American Clinical Laboratory Association. They discussed measures touching on reimbursement for laboratory tests and other matters, including the Ban AI Denials in Medicare Act (HR 6361), which is designed to block implementation of the new Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) model created by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.
While some of the discussion focused on the bills scheduled for discussion—especially those whose sponsors were present and asked specific questions about the potential effects of the legislation—committee Democrats also raised broader questions about the future of Medicare and Medicaid in light of changes made in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (HR 1).