Take Action! Join CRT advocacy efforts by requesting your elected officials co-sponsor the CRT-focused bills: Issue Brief for HR 2293 & 1223 (CRT Manual Accessories Legislation) Issue Brief for HR 2408 (CRT Separate Benefit Legislation) Congressional Directory  Complex Rehab Technology Initiatives AAHomecare is committed to advancing mobility and Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) priorities to ensure patient access to the mobility solutions to meet their medical needs and maximize...

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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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154 LAWMAKERS ASK HHS & CMS TO ADDRESS BIDDING PROGRAM & OTHER HME PRIORITY ISSUES More than one-third of the members of the U.S. House of Representatives have come together to ask Federal regulators to enact policy reforms to protect Medicare beneficiary access to essential home medical equipment (HME) products and related services.  In their letter to leaders of the Dept. of Health & Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), 154 House members affirm...

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A strong voice in Washington is necessary to combat the continued regulatory and legislative battles for homecare – as well as new issues which crop up like the changes from CMS to the 2017 fee schedule for stationary oxygen. AAHomecare is your champion in the halls of Congress and the offices at CMS. We are leading the charge on policy and advocacy in a variety of ways, and one of those is through the use of strong media placements. In 2016, more than seven million people were reached with...

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On Friday, CMS updated its Durable Medical Equipment Center page with information on implementing provisions in the CURES bill signed into law earlier this month.  The update covers the additional 6-month delay to the application of bidding-derived pricing reductions for complex rehab technology accessories used with Group 3 power wheelchairs, as well as retroactive relief for the second phase of bidding-derived cuts for rural and non-bid area providers from July 1 through Dec. 31,...

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The latest version of the 21st Century CURES bill to be considered this week on Capitol Hill includes language that would retroactively roll back the second round of Medicare competitive bidding-derived cuts for rural and non-bid area home medical equipment (HME) providers for six months, as well as a provision to further delay the application of bidding-derived pricing for complex rehab technology accessories for an additional six months. The proposed legislation: Extends the transition...

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Let Us Know How Your Company Has Been Affected by the New Pricing Environment While Congress is no longer in session, AAHomecare continues to keep legislators apprised of the challenges HME providers are facing as we pursue legislative relief for these unsustainable prices. Thank you for continuing to relay your experiences to the association. Here are some excerpts from narratives providers have shared with us about their challenges and plans going forward: Illinois - During 2016,...

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Wisconsin Seniors Need Speaker Ryan to Stand Up for Them By Brian Kelly One would think the loss of 15 jobs and the closure of four of our nine medical equipment showrooms here in Wisconsin, is the result of an economic downturn or a slowdown in our industry. The cause is a misapplied government program that is leading to less access to care, reduced quality of care, and higher out-of-pocket costs for seniors and people with disabilities that rely on Medicare. Based in and around U.S. House...

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CMS CLAIMS "VERY FEW BENEFICIARY COMPLAINTS AND NO NEGATIVE IMPACT ON BENEFICIARY HEALTH STATUS" UNDER BIDDING PROGRAM CMS today released Single Payment Amounts (SPAs) for 2017 Round 1, as well as this statement which includes the assertion that "very few beneficiary complaints and no negative impact on beneficiary health status" have resulted from the program. AAHomecare's statement on these claims about impacts on beneficiaries follows below. AAHomecare will...

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In a continuing effort to educate Congress and share the struggle of HME providers in the current Medicare environment, Tom Ryan was interviewed on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal show on Labor Day Monday (Sept. 5). “It’s patient preferred, it’s economically the best situation, and at the end of the day you will get a better outcome,” explained Ryan highlighting the service component of home medical equipment and the benefits of homecare. Ryan also discussed the need...

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