AAHomecare

WASHINGTON, D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 24, 2016)—Just minutes after AAHomecare updated members about the status of rural relief legislation on Capitol Hill, they received CMS’s announcement of the release of the 2016 DMEPOS fee schedule amounts set to take effect on July 1 for certain items outside of Competitive Bid Areas that were adjusted based on information from the bidding program.

—via AAHomecare

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 24, 2016)—As reported to the AAHomecare membership Wednesday, we were successful in passing an amended version of S.2736 through the Senate via unanimous consent on Tuesday evening.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 23, 2016)—Legislation to delay a new round of cuts to rural and non-bid area suppliers and provide additional fixes to the Medicare competitive bidding program for home medical equipment (HME) was passed by the Senate late yesterday. The legislation (S. 2736), passed through the Senate via unanimous consent, would:

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 16, 2016)—AAHomecare has received confirmation that competitive bidding rural relief legislation is starting to move through the hotline process in the Senate. The bill is first being cleared through the Senate Finance Committee, who have until noon Thursday (June 16) to object to the bill. Once the bill clears the committee, it will go to the full Senate.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 8, 2016)—A newly released GAO report, “Medicare: Utilization and Expenditures for Complex Wheelchair Accessories,” was presented to Congress on June 1, 2016, just 30 days before prices derived from CMS’s flawed bidding program for home medical equipment are set to take effect for specialized complex rehab technology (CRT) wheelchairs used by individuals with profound mobility and disability challenges.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 2, 2016)—On the heels of last week's Washington Legislative Conference, the momentum is building for support of rural relief legislation. On Wednesday and Thursday, conference attendees met with more than 225 legislators' offices to discuss the Patient Access to Durable Medical Equipment (PADME) Act of 2016 and other advocacy priority issues.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 2, 2016)—The count is at 30 days until the July 1 cuts take effect, and AAHomecare is calling the HME community to commit to making every last effort to encourage Congress to support legislation for rural relief—The Patient Access to Durable Medical Equipment (PADME) Acts, H.R. 5210 and S. 2736.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 26, 2016)—The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of Health & Human Services today released a report that raises more concerns about the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) ill-conceived competitive bidding program for home medical equipment.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 26, 2016)—A group of national and state associations sent a letter to Congressional leaders today urging passage of the Patient Access to Durable Medical Equipment Act of 2016 (S.2736 and H.R. 5210), bipartisan legislation that would ensure continued patient access to vital health care technology.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 24, 2016)—CMS’s recently published statement on Medicare assignment rate information is grossly inadequate for evaluating the impact of the first round of deep competitive-bidding derived pricing cuts on patients in rural and non-bid areas. CMS’s report is vague and fails to provide important details:

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 24, 2016)—All four DME MACs recently issued clarification on WOPD requirements as defined in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). AAHomecare has had several meetings with CMS regarding the ACA requirements and how the WOPD does not have to be the DWOPD (detailed written order prior to delivery). You can find the clarification here. This link is to the NHIC website—however, you can find the same information on all four DME MAC websites.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 12, 2016)—This week, AAHomecare submitted comments on the proposed demonstration to revise Part B Medicare prescription drug payments under the Agency’s Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI).

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 27, 2016)—While much of our outreach on public policy this year has focused on mitigating the impact of bidding-derived reimbursement rates for providers in rural and non-bid areas, the American Association for Homecare also continues its important work on regulatory and legislative approaches to reforming Medicare audits.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 24, 2016)—A leading scientific journal is publishing a study finding that Medicare’s competitive bidding program for home medical equipment and supplies caused adverse health outcomes, including increased hospitalization and death, of diabetic Medicare beneficiaries nationwide.

LAS VEGAS (February 10, 2016)—Join HME industry leaders at Medtrade Spring’s premier networking event and help us give back to the consumer patient and advocacy groups that serve our patients and are partners with us on advocacy issues.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 27, 2016)—Since the start of the New Year, AAHomecare leadership has taken part in numerous discussions with leading companies and associations in the HME sector to map out strategy to get relief for companies in rural areas, as well as those in other non-bid areas, now subject to Medicare competitive bidding-derived pricing.

WATERLOO, Iowa (January 21, 2016)—VGM Insurance Services has partnered with American Association for Homecare to offer preferred pricing on their surety bonds and liability insurance products to AAHomecare members.

EXETER, PA (January 13, 2016)—Pride Mobility Products Corporation is pleased to announce the promotion of Seth Johnson to Senior Vice President of Government Affairs.

LAS VEGAS (January 13, 2016)—Medtrade Spring is packed with educational sessions and hundreds of exhibitors on the show floor. However, it’s the third benefit of Medtrade Spring—networking—that can often bring the most unexpected benefits. “Free-flowing conversation via face-to-face interaction can yield valuable information, lasting friendships, and keen insights,” says Kevin Gaffney, group show director, Medtrade.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 7, 2016)—On December 29, 2015, CMS published the final rule to Medicare Program: Prior Authorization Process for Certain Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies. This comes a year and a half after the proposed rule, which came out on May 28, 2014. Originally CMS proposed that the timeframe for a response to a prior authorization request would be made within 10 days or two days for expedited requests.