LAS VEGAS (February 28, 2017)—Speakers at the American Association for Homecare’s Legislative Update characterized 2017 as a “year of opportunity” on day two of Medtrade Spring. “We believe we can work in the regulatory environment,” said Tom Ryan, president and CEO, AAHomecare, “and not have to continue to go to the Hill for legislation.”
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:
WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 30, 2017)—The American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) is calling on the contractors administering TRICARE military health plans nationwide to reprocess claims for home medical equipment for the last six months of 2016 on account of provisions in recent health care legislation affecting Medicare reimbursement rates.
Via AAHomecare—WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 7, 2016)—This afternoon, the Senate passed H.R. 34, the 21st Century Cures Act (CURES) by a 94–5 margin. The bill's HME-related provisions remain unchanged from our summary last week; the bill's positive measures, its effect on future Medicaid reimbursement rates, and the road ahead are discussed in the President's Message that follows below.
Update: On Wedneday, November 30, 2016, the House passed the measure with sweeping bipartisan support.
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.
WASHINGTON, D.C (October 19, 2016)—A study released today by the American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) shows that Medicare reimbursement rates for home medical equipment cover just 88 percent of overall costs for companies providing this service.
WASHINGTON, D.C (August 26, 2016)—Home medical equipment providers who serve our nation’s military personnel are being hit with shocking new Medicare reimbursement cuts thanks to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) decision to widely apply rates from its competitive bidding program outside its original footprint in metro areas to now encompass the entire country.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 6, 2016)—The American Association for Homecare praised legislation to delay a new round of Medicare reimbursement cuts for rural and non-bid area home medical equipment providers that passed the House today. An amended version of the Patient Access to Durable Medical Equipment Act of 2016 (H.R. 5210), passed through the House via voice vote Tuesday, includes the following provisions:
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 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. (May 24, 2016)—Unifying the voices of consumer advocates nationwide, the American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) and VGM Group Inc. today announced merger plans for their respective consumer advocacy groups into a single, industry-wide consumer advocacy platform.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 14, 2015)—Don’t sit on the sidelines waiting for others to make the “ask” in Washington, D.C.
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.
WASHINGTON D.C. (February 4, 2016)—In recent years, AAHomecare has focused on strengthening our partnerships with leading patient advocacy groups whose members depend on home medical equipment. This week, AAHomecare met with leaders from some of these groups to map out plans to address their legislative priorities related to HME.
From Tom Ryan with AAHomecare:
There are just 99 days left on the calendar until January 1, 2016. On that day, CMS plans to unleash a double whammy on HME providers and patients through competitive-bidding derived rates for Complex Rehab accessories, as well as expanding the reach of prices from the bidding program to rural providers everywhere. Welcome to the brave new world of competitive bidding pricing, without actual bidding for the items covered!
