HHS

—via AAHomecare (March 23, 2017)—Earlier today AAHomecare shared HME industry recommendations for fixing significant problems with CMS’s DMEPOS competitive bidding program with HHS Secretary Tom Price. The recommendations focus on six major areas:

WATERLOO, Iowa (March 21, 2017)—VGM Group, Inc. has submitted a formal letter of regulatory priorities to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price.

The letter outlines three top priorities that VGM's membership has identified that require immediate action from the administration in order to prevent reductions of access to care for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.

LAS VEGAS (March 1, 2017)—At Tuesday morning’s Washington Update, AAHomecare senior staff recounted important achievements from the last six months and discussed the prospects for additional gains for the HME industry in 2017. AAHomecare president and CEO Tom Ryan led off by describing 2017 as a year of opportunity for HME on the public policy front, thanks in part to new leadership at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 10, 2017)—Early Friday morning, the Senate confirmed Dr. Tom Price to serve as Secretary of the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) by a vote of 52-47.

Statement of Tom Ryan, president and CEO of the American Association for Homecare:

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (February 10, 2017)—Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be America’s 23rd Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In response, B. Douglas Hoey, RPh, MBA, National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) CEO, issued the following statement:

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 17, 2017)—Data is the lifeblood of the value-based payment environment. Every time a doctor takes care of a patient, we have an opportunity to use information in ways that help patients get better care. The goal is to use the information from each patient encounter to make the next encounter better—across the entire health care system. But it is easier said than done.

Trump Names Rep. Tom Price as Next HHS Secretary
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), a fierce critic of the Affordable Care Act and a proponent of overhauling the nation’s entitlement programs, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. (Amy Goldstein and Phillip Rucker/Washington Post)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 12, 2016)—David J. Totaro, chairman of the Partnership for Medicaid Home-Based Care (PMHC), issued the following statement today in response to a recent call by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) concerning improved program integrity in personal care services:

NAHC: Pre-Claim Review Makes No Sense, Goes Too Far
The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) recently submitted harsh comments to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) over the pre-claim pilot program by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). (Amy Baxter/Home Health Care News)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 8, 2016)—Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Department of the Treasury announced key enhancements to the Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) template and Uniform Glossary. The improvements include an additional coverage example and language and terms to improve consumers' understanding of their health coverage.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 14, 2016)—Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced 121 new participants in Medicare Accountable Care Organization (ACO) initiatives designed to improve the care patients receive in the health care system and lower costs. With this announcement, ACOs now represent 49 states and the District of Columbia.