AAHomecare Asks Obama to Review HME Regs

WASHINGTON — Following President Barack Obama’s Jan. 18
Executive Order calling on federal agencies to dial down overly
costly and burdensome regulations, the American Association for
Homecare sent him a letter asking for a review of “onerous and
outdated regulations that hamper job creation and threaten access
to quality home medical equipment (HME) and services under the
Medicare program.”

Titled “Improving
Regulation and Regulatory Review,” the order is intended to
make regulations less burdensome to business — particularly
small business — and solicits examples of problematic
regulations.

View the
executive order, and read the
president’s opinion piece explaining the order in The Wall
Street Journal.

In its appeal, AAHomecare asked specifically that the president
examine “policies related to competitive bidding for durable
medical equipment, respiratory therapy … power mobility
devices, diabetes testing equipment and supplies, Medicare audits
and anti-fraud and abuse initiatives.”

The full text of the letter, delivered Wednesday, follows:

The President
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

I am writing on behalf of the American Association for
Homecare (AAHomecare) to express our keen interest in working with
your Administration to review onerous and outdated regulations that
hamper job creation and threaten access to quality home medical
equipment (HME) and services under the Medicare program. We believe
that in complying with your Executive Order, Improving Regulation
and Regulatory Review, we should take a holistic approach to the
Medicare HME benefit and specifically look at issues such as
policies related to competitive bidding for durable medical
equipment, respiratory therapy (including home oxygen and sleep
devices), power mobility devices, diabetes testing equipment and
supplies, Medicare audits and anti-fraud and abuse
initiatives.

AAHomecare is the only national trade association
representing every line of medical equipment and services within
the homecare community. The Association represents health care
providers and manufacturers who serve the medical needs of millions
of Americans who require durable medical equipment, prosthetics,
orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS) such as home oxygen therapy,
mobility assistive technologies, diabetes therapy and other
supplies, sleep therapy technologies, inhalation drug therapy, home
infusion, and other home medical equipment, therapies, services,
and supplies in their homes. Our membership reflects a
cross-section of the homecare community, including national,
regional and local providers.

The Association believes that there are a number of
regulations that relate to the HME sector that need close scrutiny.
These regulations, created over a 25-year period, have created a
patchwork of rules that could be better designed to improve the
quality of care furnished by HME providers with the goal of caring
for individuals in their homes rather than in more costly
institutional settings like nursing homes and hospitals.

AAHomecare looks forward to working with you and your
Administration to address ineffective and outdated rules and the
hassle factor these regulations create on HME providers that
inhibit job growth and quality of care. The Association will
provide you with more detailed comments in the near future and I am
available to meet with you or your staff to discuss these concerns
further.

If you have questions about the Association’s concerns,
please contact Jay Witter at (703) 535-1884 or [email protected].

Sincerely,

Tyler J. Wilson
President