WASHINGTON—The proposed rule for 2026 home health payments that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released earlier this month includes a wide range of changes that will impact home medical providers, including updates to competitive bidding, accreditation requirements and prior authorization policies.
WASHINGTON—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) released a proposed rule on home health and durable medical equipment (DME) that includes new provisions for the next implementation of the Competitive Bidding Program (CBP), the American Association for Homecare (AAHomeCare) shared in an email with its members.
WASHINGTON—The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released more details on the agency’s budget request for the 2026 fiscal year in its 51-page Budget in Brief, along with a 194-page Justification of Estimates for Appropriations Committees for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
ATLANTA, Georgia (Nov. 5, 2020)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) is seeking an unprecedented level of advice from stakeholders even as it makes major changes to the competitive bidding program, Mark Higley, vice president or regulatory affairs for VGM, and others said Wednesday.
WASHINGTON, DC (November 14, 2018)—The National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology (NCART) organized a National CRT Congressional Call-In Day for Wednesday, November 14, to push for the passage of HR 3730 prior to year-end. NCART asked individuals and organizations to get the word out and participate.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 20, 2018)—The American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) submitted comments on the ESRD/DMEPOS Proposed Rule that CMS released in mid-July.
By Kristin Easterling
(May 10, 2018)—After months of advocacy from AAHomecare and other industry stakeholders, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and CMS have cleared the Interim Final Rule related to HME (CMS-1687-IFC) to increase fee schedule rates for certain DME items and services through 2018. Language in the recent Omnibus bill also urged the Administration to release the rule and move on relief for rural providers.
—Via AAHomecare WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 5, 2017)—On Tuesday afternoon, AAHomecare president Tom Ryan, Jay Witter, AAHomecare senior vice president of public affairs, Cara Bachenheimer, senior vice president of government relations with Invacare, and Thomas Barker, an attorney recently engaged by the Association, met with CMS Administrator Seema Verma and Deputy Administrator Demetrios Kouzoukas, as well as several other HHS and CMS staffers.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 31, 2016)—CMS issued a final rule last week, covering end-stage renal care and changes to the DME competitive bidding program. Provisions of interest to the home medical equipment community include:
Bid Ceilings—Bid ceilings for future rounds will be based on the 2015 fee unadjusted fee schedule, instead of CMS's earlier proposal to establish bid ceilings at the current CBA pricing.
LENEXA, Kan. (October 27, 2016)—Mediware Information Systems, Inc. is hosting a free webinar for attendees on Thursday, December 1, 2016, at 1:00 Central, 2:00 EST, to discuss how providers can expand their business outside of Medicare. The webinar is entitled “Responding to Medicare Cuts: Details About Billing Non-Assigned, ABNs, and Retail,” presented by Jeffrey S. Baird, of Brown & Fortunato, P.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 29, 2016)—On June 24, CMS issued a proposed rule that would update payment policies and rates under the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System (PPS) for renal dialysis services furnished to beneficiaries on or after January 1, 2017. This rule also proposes new quality measures to improve the quality of care by dialysis facilities treating patients with end-stage renal disease.
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 18, 2016)—The Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC) today cautioned that data released from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) do not fully reflect the true impact of Medicare cuts recently imposed on Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics & Supplies (DMEPOS), including home-based respiratory therapies.
Washington, D.C. (May 12, 2016)—The highly anticipated companion bill to S. 2736, the Patient Access to Durable Medical Equipment (PADME) Act, was introduced in the House of Representatives on Thursday, May 12, 2016. H.R. 5210 was introduced by Representatives Tom Price, M.D. (R-Ga.) and Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa). This bill has gathered broad bi-partisan support as it has been introduced with 40 original co-sponsors including Reps.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 5, 2016)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the Round 2 Recompete and national mail-order recompete contract suppliers for Medicare’s Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 20, 2016)—Leaders of the Senate Finance Committee have asked the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to delay the next round of bidding-derived reimbursement cuts for rural and non-bid areas for an additional twelve months and to disclose specific indicators the agency is using to monitor possible beneficiary access issues under the Medicare bidding program for home medical equipment.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 14, 2015)—Don’t sit on the sidelines waiting for others to make the “ask” in Washington, D.C.
