News

                     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Gordon Barnes, gordonb@aahomecare.org, 202.372.0759 Tennessee House and Senate Unanimously Pass Legislation Establishing a Separate Benefit for Complex Rehab Technology Products Provided Through Medicaid NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 19, 2019)—The Tennessee State Legislature has enacted legislation establishing “separate benefit” status for a category of specialized
Read More

Over the past two and a half years, AAHomecare’s payer relations efforts have helped stop or limit proposed Medicaid reimbursement cuts in dozens of states, limited the spread of sole-source and narrow network contract arrangements, and successfully lobbied TRICARE to provide retroactive relief for HME reimbursements based on the 2016 CURES bill.   The Association is looking to reinforce success in this arena by bringing on highly-qualified HME professional David Chandler as director
Read More

As the United States faced an Arctic front this week with more than 70 percent of Americans enduring below freezing temperatures, many home medical equipment providers were again tasked with caring for patients in extreme weather conditions. Here’s a pair of updates from AAHomecare members in Wisconsin on the special challenges associated with providing HME when the thermometer readings dive below zero.    HME Home Medical –Green Bay, Manitowoc, and Sheboygan, Wisconsin (Temperatures
Read More

In late 2018, CMS requested feedback on the inclusion of ventilators (E0465, E0466, E0467) and braces in the DMEPOS competitive bidding program. AAHomecare responded with comments strongly opposing inclusion of ventilators to the program due to the complexity of providing ventilator services to patients and due to the intensive and continual care these patients need. Ventilators are life support systems that replace or support normal ventilatory lung function, it is a DME item that is unlike any
Read More

The 2019 Medicare fee schedule infrormation released today by CMS grants modest 2.3%-2.5% CPI-U increases in several categories: Former competitive bidding areas: SPA + 2.5% Diabetic supplies, National Mail Order: SPA + 2.5% Diabetic supplies. Non-Mail Order: remains at current rate Items not included in CB program: 2018 rates +2.3% Rural/non-contiguous areas: 50% unadjusted fee schedule and 50% new adjusted fee schedule AAHomecare has reached out to CMS for clarification on whether
Read More

Strong Grassroots Effort Needed to Ask House Members to Join  Letter Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) has released a Congressional sign-on letter to leadership at CMS, HHS, and OMB asking for additional relief for the HME community in the proposed ESRD/DMEPOS Rule currently under consideration.  We are asking HME providers and other stakeholders to ask their Representatives in the House to join the letter as soon as possible. The letter, which can be seen here, expresses support
Read More

There’s Still Time to Make Your Voice Heard – Even a Brief Message About How Current Reimbursement Rates Are Impacting Your Business and Patients Will Make a Difference We’re down to the home stretch in the comment period for the ESRD/DMEPOS Proposed Rule.  For those of you who haven’t shared your comments, there’s still time to add your voice to the comments. I hope that all AAHomecare member companies and others in the HME community will take at least 30 minutes
Read More

The American Association for Homecare submitted comments today on the ESRD/DMEPOS Proposed Rule that CMS released in mid-July. “CMS has taken an important step towards improving the bidding program in their proposed rule,” noted Tom Ryan, president and CEO of the American Association for Homecare.  “Adopting a clearing price methodology, coupled with implementing Congressionally mandated provisions to reduce the influence of non-serious or unqualified bidders, should result
Read More

Across the country, health care plans are looking for innovative, cost-effective solutions to meet members’ needs.  However, a developing trend across the payor landscape, particularly in the Medicaid MCO space, is the application of sole source contracts and narrow network arrangements for the provisions of HME and related services.  The HME industry and consumer groups have serious concerns about the shortcomings of such arrangements and the ultimate negative impact it will have
Read More

Friday’s release of MedPAC’s report to Congress on Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System represents another missed opportunity by the Commission to address the serious problems with Medicare’s competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment (DME) as well as the disastrous application of bidding-derived pricing to rural and other less-populous communities.   “Medicare’s bidding program for DME and the expanded use of bidding-derived pricing beyond
Read More