Justice Department Advances Proposed Rule to Improve Access to Medical Care for People with Disabilities
The rule proposes to adopt technical standards that clarify how public entities that use MDE can meet their existing obligations under the ADA

WASHINGTON—The Justice Department sent to the Federal Register for publication a notice of proposed rulemaking under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that aims to improve access to medical diagnostic equipment (MDE) for people with disabilities. MDE includes equipment like medical examination tables, weight scales, dental chairs, x-ray machines and mammography equipment. 

NAHC Tells CMS Payment Model Will Destroy Home Health Benefit
In a 36-page document, the National Association for Homecare and Hospice outlined issues with the 2024 federal home health payment proposed rule.

WASHINGTON—The methodology chosen to determine future home health payment rates "will eventually destroy the value of the home health services benefit," the National Association for Homecare and Hospice (NAHC) said in a letter sent to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). 

Proposed Payment Rule Could Hamper Home Health Agencies, NAHC Says

WASHINGTON—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid’s (CMS) proposed rate reductions for home health could be devastating for agencies if they are codified, said Bill Dombi, president of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC). Even worse, CMS has left a door open to demand some $3 billion in clawbacks for prior years of what it interprets as over-payments.  

Hospice Proposed Rule Includes 2.7% Rate Increase

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 31, 2022)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a proposed rule (CMS1773-P) that would provide routine updates to hospice based payments and the aggregate cap amount for fiscal year (FY) 2023 in accordance with existing statutory and regulatory requirements. This rule proposes to establish a permanent mitigation policy to smooth the impact of year-to-year changes in hospice payments related to changes in the hospice wage index.

Oxygen Leaders Submit Comments On Oxygen Memo

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 16, 2021)—The Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC)—a coalition of the nation's leading home respiratory therapy providers and manufacturing companies—expressed concern in response to the Proposed Decision Memo for Home Use of Oxygen and Home Oxygen Use to Treat Cluster Headaches, which outlines proposed changes to documentation requirements put in place to protect providers and patient access by two National Coverage Determinations (NCDs) related to home oxygen.

Proposed Rule Revises Nondiscrimination Regulations for Health Care

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 18, 2019)—The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have issued a proposed rule significantly revising the nondiscrimination regulations that implemented Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The revisions are intended to reduce burden, eliminate redundancy with several other nondiscriminatory regulations, and provide clarity in the application of nondiscrimination requirements.

CMS Proposes Rule to Increase Data Sharing Across Health Care Continuum

WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 11, 2019)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released CMS-9115-P, the Interoperability and Patient Access Proposed Rule. The new rule outlines proposed policy changes to the MyHealthEData initiative to improve patient access to and advance electronic data exchange and care coordination throughout the health care system. CMS is also releasing two requests for information (RFIs) for feedback from providers in post-acute care settings.