CMS Removes Most Product Categories from CB Round 2021 and Publishes DMEPOS Proposed Rule Tuesday evening, CMS announced that there will be no Round 2021 competitive bidding contracts awarded for product categories bid in this round, with the exception of Off-The-Shelf (OTS) Back Braces and OTS Knee Braces. Winning bidders for OTS back and knee braces will have until Nov. 10 to respond to the contract offer(s). See CMS' announcement on this significant Round 2021 change for...

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Competitive Bidding Delay Sign-on Letter at 80 Names; Still Time to Build Support Today - Quick Action Needed! We’ve received an unofficial count of 80 Representatives having joined the Congressional sign-on letter urging CMS to delay implementation of CB Round 2021 for at least one year.   We're told the letter will close at noon today (Eastern time) - so please act now if you want to help make one more push. Here’s some related materials to help you develop your message...

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North Dakota Providers and AAHomecare Keep Eyes on Inappropriate Internet CPAP Sales UPDATE: On Feb. 21, Walmart responded via email to AAHomecare that the CPAP devices had been removed from their site.  We have confirmed that they have been removed. _____________________ When a patient asked Sanford Healthcare for assistance regulating settings on a CPAP device recently, Sanford Healthcare Accessories found out the individual had purchased the equipment from a third-party seller via...

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Help Build Additional Support for Legislative Priorities We continue to work with our champions on Capitol Hill to advance HME policy priorities and increase our chances to have provisions from HR 2771 and HR 4945 included in future omnibus legislative packages.   We urge individuals with providers, manufacturers, distributors, and other companies supporting the HME community to take action over the next few weeks to contact your representatives in the House and ask for them to co-sponsor...

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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...

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Reforming the Competitive Bidding Program Background In 2003, the Medicare Modernization Act authorized the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to develop a program for home medical equipment (HME) to find market-based prices to replace the current fee-for-service prices.  CMS implemented the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program in 2008, which was halted a mere two weeks later by Congress due to program design and execution problems.  With a few cosmetic changes to the auction...

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Rural Relief from the Competitive Bidding Program Take Action! Join rural relief efforts by visiting the Action Center to send a message to elected officials requesting co-sponsorship of HR 4229, Protecting HOME Access Act.  Issue Brief for H.R. 4229 Congressional Directory Background In 2003, the Medicare Modernization Act authorized the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to develop a program for home medical equipment (HME) to find market-based prices to replace...

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Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers has released a Congressional sign-on letter asking Capitol Hill leaders and key committee chairs/ranking members to include provisions in forthcoming legislation to fund government operations. The deadline for signatures on this letter is Thursday, March 1 at 12:00 PM ET (noon). In the letter, which can be found here, Rep. McMorris Rodgers states….. "Due to mounting concerns about access to this cost-effective and patient-preferred method of...

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Background 110 of the largest, most densely populated MSAs in the country currently participate as Competitively Bid Areas (CBAs) in the Competitive Bidding Program (CBP) for DMEPOS (Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies). These CBAs are home to 58% of all Medicare beneficiaries in the nation. Under the CBP, durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers, often called home medical equipment (HME) suppliers, compete for a limited number of contracts to serve Medicare beneficiaries...

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