Strong Ventilator Coverage Provisions Advance in Louisiana On Wednesday, the Louisiana House of Representative passed HB 594, legislation to prevent insurers, MCOs, and other payers from setting reimbursement caps for ventilators. AAHomecare joined Louisiana HME stakeholders to support the legislation and helped convince key legislators to remove proposed amendments that could have capped costs for non-invasive ventilators and restricted HME suppliers’ ability to provide important service...

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Higher Product Costs and Supply Chain Bottlenecks Continue to Challenge HME  Even as vaccination rates grow and new cases of COVID-19 are slowing nationwide, HME suppliers and manufacturers remain in the grip of another side effect of the pandemic: higher product costs and increased operational expenses. HME suppliers first began seeing these impacts in early 2020, as demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) surged, with shortages and higher costs quickly following. Additional...

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Gambill Merits Promotion for Managing Broad Portfolio of Communications and Marketing Initiatives  As the  Director of Marketing and Communications for AAHomecare, Tilly Gambill will expand her role strengthening the Association’s brand and national influence through traditional and social media channels as well as developing new and creative marketing campaigns. She is managing the public relations agency overseeing the development of a PR and social campaign around the Value...

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New Oxygen Fee Schedule Starting April 1 CMS has published the April 2021 DMEPOS fee schedule with the new oxygen rates that excludes the application of budget neutrality. This new change shows 5%-11% increase in oxygen products across the country.   Budget neutrality was originally introduced in 2006 to offset the increased utilization for oxygen generating portable equipment (OPGE) with lower reimbursement for stationary equipment. In 2019 CMS expanded budget neutrality to apply to the...

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AAHomecare and NEMEP Push for Medicaid Rate Stability in New York  AAHomecare is working with the Northeast Medical Equipment Providers Association (NEMEP) to support new legislation requiring Medicaid MCOs in New York to reimburse DME providers at no less than 100% of the state’s published Medicaid DME and CRT fee schedule. A.5368 was introduced by Assembly member John McDonald III and co-sponsored by Assembly Member Richard Gottfried on February 16, 2021.  A Senate companion...

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Support Newly Introduced Medicaid Rate Stability Legislation in New York Senate & Assembly Please help build support for newly introduced bills in the New York State Legislature that would require Medicaid MCOs in New York to reimburse DME providers at no less than one hundred percent of the state’s published Medicaid DME and CRT fee schedule for the same services and supplies.  A.5368 was introduced by Assembly member John McDonald III and co-sponsored by Assembly Member Richard...

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Take the Next Step in Becoming an Advocate for Better HME Public Policy Advocacy efforts are ramping up for the 117th Congress as the AAHomecare and other leading HME stakeholders are working with our champions on Capitol Hill and key committees of jurisdictions to develop plans to address major industry priorities, including sustainable Medicare reimbursement policy. Complementing our work in the House and Senate, the Grassroots Accountability Project (GAP) is a vehicle for the HME Industry to...

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AAHomecare Weighs in on Continuity of Care for Medically Fragile Children in Texas  AAHomecare has asked the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to implement processes to ensure that medically fragile children covered under the state’s Star Kids program can continue to be served by their current DMEPOS supplier if a change in providers is deemed to potentially subject the patient to unnecessary risk. The current Star Kids contract with the state allows primary care...

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AAHomecare Offers Resources to Help Share Value of HME AAHomecare is adding additional resources as part of its ongoing effort to ensure that the HME Industry’s work in communities across America is understood and appreciated. Through the Payer Relations Council’s focus on sharing the Value of HME, AAHomecare has curated resources that highlight the major role providers and manufacturers play in ensuring high quality care, including one specific to our industry’s efforts during...

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Share Your Story on Braving Winter Storms for Patient Care As winter storms surge across the country, the HME community is no stranger to braving the elements in the name of patient care to provide vital equipment and services.   However, payers, legislators, and governmental agencies often fail to recognize the critical service component of HME providers as partners in the care continuum.  Through programs like Competitive Bidding, the HME Industry has experienced a 40% decline in...

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