WASHINGTON — Late Friday, the American Association for Homecare reported Rep. Glenn Thompson's office has tallied unofficial commitments for H.R. 1041 that double the number of representatives signed onto the bill to more than 40.
Introduced March 11 by Thompson, R-Pa., and Rep. Jason Altmire, D-Pa., the new competitive bidding repeal bill garnered 20 cosigners — almost an equal split between Republicans and Democrats — during AAHomeCare's Washington Legislative Conference March 16-17. Last week's new commitments aren't official yet as numbers aren't updated while Congress is in recess, but the big jump "underscores the momentum" of the bill, association officials said.
(View a list of current cosponsors at thomas.loc.gov. Click the "bill number" option and enter H.R. 1041 in the search bar.)
In addition, more than two dozen patient advocacy and other health care groups have lined up behind the bipartisan bill, called the Fairness in Medicare Bidding Act, including:
- The ALS Association
- AlphaOne (Maine Center for Independent Living)
- American Association of People with Disabilities
- American Foundation for the Blind
- American Sleep Apnea Association
- American Therapeutic Recreation Association
- Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs
- Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living
- Association of University Centers on Disabilities
- Brain Injury Association of America
- Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation
- International Ventilator Users Network
- Long Island Center for Independent Living
- Muscular Dystrophy Association
- National Association of the Deaf
- National Council on Independent Living
- National Emphysema/COPD Association
- National Family Caregivers Association
- National Spinal Cord Injury Association
- Post-Polio Health International
- Statewide Independent Living Council of Georgia
- Three Rivers Center for Independent Living
- UCP/CLASS (formerly UCP Pittsburgh)
- United Spinal Association
- National Association for Home Care and Hospice
- National Association for the Support of Long Term Care
- UPMC Health System
Along with numerous other industry groups and state associations, AAHomecare is urging HME stakeholders to ask their legislators for support of H.R. 1041. Check the AAHomecare Take Action center to send a message to senators and representatives about competitive bidding repeal.
The association will also operate an H.R. 1041 "Command Center" at Medtrade Spring where attendees can check on the status of cosponsors in their state, pick up talking points and send emails to their legislators.
Read the text of the H.R. 1041. Read a "Dear Colleague" letter on H.R. 1041.
View more competitive bidding stories.