Advocacy on Capitol Hill and beyond
AAHomecare
The focus group looked at compliance and CMS requirements for providers.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 25, 2018)—Last Friday, AAHomecare attended the first Provider Compliance Focus Group meeting held at CMS’s main campus in Baltimore. This was an opportunity for Medicare stakeholders to engage in a conversation with CMS on a variety of compliance related issues. AAHomecare and several Regulatory Council members spoke to CMS on:
WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 24, 2018)—This afternoon, the U.S. Senate confirmed Alex Azar to serve as Secretary of the Dept. of Health & Human Services by a vote of 55–43.
Statement on today's confirmation from Tom Ryan, president and CEO of the American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare):
States now have through December 31, 2018 to work out guidelines.
Via AAHomcare, WASHINGTON, DC (January 5, 2018)—CMS has revised its initial guidance to state Medicaid directors on compliance with CURES legislation provisions regarding the Federal allowable for Medicaid reimbursement.
Having grassroots contacts better enables more relationships for advocacy.
Via AAHomecare, WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 3, 2018)—As first reported in early December, AAHomecare’s State Leaders Council is working with state and regional HME associations, AAHomecare membership, and other stakeholder groups to identify a primary and secondary assigned contact from the HME industry for every member of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
The guidance directs state Medicaid directors on how to best set reimbursement rates.
Via AAHomecare, WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 29, 2017)—As mandated in the December 2016 CURES bill, federal Medicaid reimbursement to states for home medical equipment cannot exceed what Medicare would have allowed for these items, in aggregate, beginning on January 1, 2018.
New tool introduced to reconcile information sent in by state Medicaid rates with Medicare rates.
—Via AAHomecare, WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 14, 2017)—CMS recently provided an update on a State Operational Technical Advisory (SOTA) call regarding CURES Medicaid provisions. AAHomecare was one of nearly 300 participants on the call, which was put together for the benefit of Medicaid program officials, but also included industry stakeholders.
—Via AAHomecare, WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 14, 2017)—Last week, the AAHomecare Board of Directors approved the following changes to the Board and Executive Committee:
Third-party sellers endanger patient safety.
—Via AAHomecare, WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 14, 2017)—AAHomecare has learned that third party sellers in North Dakota (and possibly other states) have been advertising and selling through Amazon.com CPAP devices without a prescription or any other medical supervision. Such sales are likely in violation of state and federal laws, as well as Amazon’s own restrictions on the sale of prescription devices.
AAHomecare working with state programs to obtain guidance.
Via AAHomecare, WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 30, 2017)—As mandated in the December 2016 CURES bill, federal Medicaid reimbursement to states for home medical equipment cannot exceed what Medicare would have allowed for these items beginning on January 1, 2018.
Via AAHomecare, WASHINGTON, D.C.
Statement from Tom Ryan
WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 14, 2017)— Statement of Tom Ryan, AAHomecare president and CEO, on the nomination of Alex Azar as Secretary of the Dept. of Health & Human Services:
The HME community's support is needed as the bill continues to advance.
—Via AAHomecare, WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 1, 2017)—Thanks to strong outreach efforts by the HME community, legislation providing relief for rural/non-bid area suppliers spearheaded by Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa) has garnered 49 original co-sponsors. This is a very strong number of original co-sponsors, eclipsing the 40 original co-sponsors for last year’s legislation on the rural relief issue, H.R. 5210.
Legislative action moves forward in the District.
ATLANTA (October 25, 2017)—AAHomecare president Tom Ryan challenged the HME community to keep up their efforts to advocate for industry policy priorities in his remarks at a lively Washington Update kicking off Medtrade’s program on Tuesday.
A message from Karyn Estrella.
ATLANTA (October 25, 2017)—HOMES is pleased to announce that the recipient of the 2017 Van Miller Homecare Champion Award is our own Gary Sheehan, president and CEO of Cape Medical Supply, Sandwich, Massachusetts. Van was a staunch advocate for the HME industry and this award could not have gone to a more deserving candidate! The award was presented this evening at the AAHomecare Stand Up for Homecare event in Atlanta, Georgia. Congratulations on this well-deserved honor, Gary!
Focus remains on competitive bidding reform.
ATLANTA (October 24, 2017)—American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) team members expressed empathy and optimism on day two of Medtrade at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
“When I see people going out of business after 30 years, 20 years—second and third generation—it gets to me,” said Tom Ryan, president and CEO, AAHomecare, during the organization’s Washington Update on Tuesday morning. “It gets to our team. That’s why we fight every day.”
ATLANTA (October 20, 2017)—The rumor is true. Show organizers are concluding this year’s Medtrade with a $5,000 cash giveaway. Qualifying to receive the prize is fairly easy.
To enter the cash giveaway drawing, attendees will receive cash giveaway cards at registration, along with their badges. Attendees must take their cards to the booths of 10 sponsors and get the cards stamped at each sponsor’s booth. The list of sponsors will be shown on the cards.
The legislation also addresses oxygen double dipping.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 12, 2017)—Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) has been working on legislation to provide relief for non-CB areas and address the “double-dip” cuts on oxygen; you can see a draft of the legislation here.
Sheehan will be honored at the Stand Up for Homecare reception at Medtrade 2017.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 11, 2017)—Industry advocate and leader Gary Sheehan, president and CEO of Massachusetts-based Cape Medical Supply, will be honored as the recipient of the 2017 Van Miller Homecare Champion Award at the upcoming Stand Up for Homecare reception on October 24, in Atlanta.
OMHA is no longer sharing detailed workload data.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 11, 2017)—For the third quarter of 2017, the average processing time for the third level of Medicare appeals is 1,082 days, or almost 3 years. This is a 41-day increase in the wait time at the Administrative Law Judge level (ALJ) since earlier this year and a 205-day increase from last year. In addition, as of July of this year, the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals (OMHA) has published that the overturn rate of appeals at the ALJ is 28.3 percent.
1,000 beneficiaries, case managers and suppliers participated to help paint a picture of access in the industry.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 10, 2017)—Health care research firm Dobson DaVanzo & Associates has finalized and released the report Access to Home Medical Equipment: Survey of Beneficiary, Case Manager and Supplier Experiences.
104 Representatives signed the HME-related letter.
Washington, D.C. (October 2, 2017)—Nearly one-fourth of the members of the U.S. House of Representatives have asked the Office of Management & Budget (OMB) to clear an HME-related Interim Final Rule (IFR) currently under review at OMB. The IFR, titled “Durable Medical Equipment Fee Schedule, Adjustments to Resume the Transitional 50/50 Blended Rates to Provide Relief in Non-Competitive Bidding Areas” has been at OMB since late August.