NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (February 14, 2019)—On February 12th, the Home Medical Equipment & Services Association of New England (HOMES) was invited by Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar and Region 1 director John McGough to the CMS and HHS Region 1 office to listen and understand issues related to Medicare policies and home medical equipment.
competitive bidding
LAS VEGAS (January 15, 2019)—Medtrade Spring is taking shape with four workshops scheduled for Day One of the show, scheduled for April 16–18, 2019, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Key exhibitors and speakers will offer four in-depth educational opportunities on April 16, the day before the expo begins.
Recent gains won't slow down industry leaders
Competitive bidding gap period creates new considerations
WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 12, 2018)—Language exempting complex rehab manual wheelchairs from the competitive bidding program and mandating an 18-month delay for the application of bidding-derived pricing for complex rehab wheelchair accessories has been included in HR 7217, the ‘‘Improving Medicaid Programs and Opportunities for Eligible Beneficiaries Act’’ or the IMPROVE Act.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 15, 2018)—CMS is soliciting comments on adding ventilators and back/knee braces to the product categories included in the next round of the bidding program.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 20, 2018)—Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) has released a Congressional sign-on letter to leadership at CMS, HHS and OMB asking for additional relief for the HME community in the proposed ESRD/DMEPOS Rule currently under consideration. The letter is expected to close by Friday, September 28. AAHomecare asd HME providers and other stakeholders to ask their Representatives in the House to join the letter.
ATLANTA (September 6, 2018)—On January 1, 2019, any willing provider will be able to participate in the Medicare program, regardless of prior bidding “wins” or losses. What should providers do? Educational advisory board (EAB) members at Medtrade will outline all of the options, possible action, and consequences in a new educational track dubbed “The New Competitive Bidding.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 29, 2018)—On August 24, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on the effects of reimbursement cuts in non-bid areas in the year following their implementation in January 2016.
WATERLOO, Iowa (August 15, 2018)—VGM Group has released a new tool for suppliers to use as they assess where CMS has deemed rural, non-rural and competitive bidding areas to be. The interactive maps include all 50 states and allow providers to determine which category a ZIP code falls under.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 26, 2018)—This week, West Virginia’s Congressional delegation released a letter to CMS Administrator Seema Verma asking her to address their concerns regarding “the significant cost differences that rural providers face relative to their urban counterparts within the CBAs,” after those issues were not resolved in the DME-related interim final rule released in May.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 12, 2018)—AAHomecare has developed a new two-page summary that recaps 16 significant reimbursement policy shifts affecting the HME community, including fee schedule adjustments, the implementation of competitive bidding, expansion of bidding-derived prices nationwide, and limiting the federal allowable for Medicaid.
Opportunities for improvement exist
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 18, 2018)—The June 15 release of MedPAC’s report to Congress on Medicare and the health care delivery system represents another missed opportunity by the Commission to address the serious problems with Medicare’s competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment (DME) as well as the disastrous application of bidding-derived pricing to rural and other less-populous communities, stated the American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare).
Report does not adequately assess beneficiary access issues, CQRC says.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 29, 2018)—The Council on Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC) today warned a report released by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG)—Round 2 Competitive Bidding for Oxygen: Continued Access For Vast Majority of Beneficiaries—underestimates the negative impact the Competitive Bidding Program for Durable Medicare Equipment (DME) continues to have on beneficiary access to home respiratory supplies and services.
Budget and MedPAC recommend expansion, in spite of CMS evaluations.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 3, 2018)—United Spinal Association, United Ostomy Associations of America and Spina Bifida Association partnered with AAHomecare on a comprehensive white paper to articulate why competitive bidding should not include urologicals and ostomy supplies. The white paper counters recent references to expanding the controversial bid program in the President’s Budget and MedPAC recommendations.
Home respiratory therapy patients have lost access to service under savings program.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 22, 2018)—The Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC) today released a new report that highlights the urgent need for policymakers to reform Medicare’s outdated payment methodology. The report outlines how the current payment system, called the competitive bidding program (CBP), restricts patients’ access to the oxygen and medical equipment they need, despite the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) best intentions.
AAHomecare releases spreadsheet of supporters of current legislative efforts.
Via AAHomecare, WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 22, 2018)—Champions on Capitol Hill remain highly engaged in efforts to roll back bidding-derived Medicare reimbursement cuts in rural/non-bid areas and to address the “double dip” cuts for oxygen in rural areas. With potential omnibus spending legislation expected in late March as a possible vehicle for language from H.R. 4229, it’s critical that we continue to engage Capitol Hill to support these priorities—especially over the next three weeks.
Concerns over cuts and bid limits exist for rural providers.
Via AAHomecare, WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 14, 2018)—The recently released FY 2019 budget proposal from the White House includes several items related to DME. AAHomecare has especially strong concerns about the first item noted below and plans to talk to the Administration for clarification.
Provisions found in the budget proposal and an HHS summary document include: