Tag: Legislation
Louisiana passes vent bill
June 13, 2024HME News Staff
BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has signed HB 839, legislation that curbs the substitution of step therapy or fail-first protocols for prescribed ventilators when clinical evidence demonstrates that these protocols will be less effective or cause an adverse reaction to the patient. The measure was strongly supported in the Louisiana legislature, with just a single vote against it on the House (97-1) and unanimous approval in the Senate (35-0), according to a bulletin from AAHomecare....
Uncertainty surrounds reimbursement relief
March 19, 2024HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – Industry stakeholders are on the hunt for another vehicle for their legislation to extend the 75/25 blended Medicare reimbursement rate in non-rural areas through 2024.
AAHomecare reports that its lobbyists and HME advocates on the Hill have indicated that reimbursement relief will not be included in a second segment of appropriations language that must pass Congress by March 22 to prevent another government shutdown.
“We will continue to look for other...
Oxygen reform bill introduced in Senate
March 1, 2024HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy, MD., R-La., Mark Warner, D-Va., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., have introduced legislation to ease access to supplemental oxygen for Medicare beneficiaries by, among other things, permanently extending blended payment rates.
The Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act of 2024 would establish a new payment methodology for non-liquid oxygen, allowing for most Medicare beneficiaries to be covered under the base payment levels.
“Patients...
Bill strengthens access to titanium wheelchairs
September 11, 2023HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – Rep. John Joyce, R-Pa., has introduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that would allow for code upgrades for titanium and carbon fiber wheelchairs under Medicare. “Stronger patient access to lightweight carbon fiber and titanium wheelchairs will allow more individuals with mobility challenges to function independently and take part in their communities,” said Tom Ryan, AAHomecare president and CEO. “Working to build support for this measure has...
Lawmakers seek to address fraud in O&P
June 27, 2023HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – A bi-partisan group in the House of Representatives has introduced a bill that would prohibit “drop shipping” of custom orthoses and protheses to Medicare beneficiaries.
H.R. 4315, the Medicare Orthotics and Prosthetics Patient-Centered Care Act, would also:
Ensure Medicare beneficiaries can access the full range of orthotic care from one O&P practitioner, rather than requiring them to visit multiple providers when the treating orthotist or...
Home infusion stakeholders now have bills in House, Senate
August 25, 2021HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – A bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives to improve access to home infusion therapy for Medicare beneficiaries.
Introduced by Reps. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., Fred Upton, R-Mich., and Vern Buchannan, R-Fla., H.R. 5067, the Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act provides technical clarifications that would remove the physical presence requirement, ensuring payment regardless of whether a health care professional is present in...
California moves to protect complex rehab
July 19, 2021HME News Staff
EAST AMHERST, N.Y. – The California State Legislature on July 15 passed Assembly Bill 133, which includes language to improve and protect access to complex rehab technology for people with disabilities, according to NCART.
The bill will permanently exempt CRT from a long-standing Medi-Cal provider cut of 10% and will strengthen policies regarding the evaluation and delivery of complex rehab.
“We are extremely thankful to the California Legislature for passing this important...
House passes bill to delay sequestration cuts
March 22, 2021HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – The House of Representatives on Friday passed a bill that would extend the moratorium on the 2% Medicare sequestration cuts from March 31, 2021, to Dec. 31, 2021.
H.R. 1868, which passed 246-175, would also exempt the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan from the statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, eliminating an additional 4% Medicare cut that would amount to about $36 billion in 2022.
On March 15, Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine,...
NCART makes case for telehealth
January 12, 2021HME News Staff
EAST AMHERST, N.Y. – NCART and the CRT Remote Services Consortium on Jan. 4 submitted comments to the Telehealth Workgroups of the Senate and U.S. House of Representatives making the case for a permanent telehealth option for people with disabilities who require complex rehab technology. The comments are another step toward getting Congress to include in legislation the ability for CMS to “make permanent” the temporary COVID-19 policies that designate physical therapists and...
Clock ticks on bid relief
January 3, 2020Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON - As the second session of Congress gets underway this week, stakeholders say it's time to amplify their efforts seeking relief from Medicare's competitive bidding program.
With temporary relief in non-bid areas set to expire at the end of this year, the clock is ticking, says AAHomecare's President and CEO Tom Ryan.
“This is the second Congress where we've had the bill to get that support,” he said. “That relief is likely to go away if we don't...