Tag: S. 2736
Bid delay efforts run out of gas
June 24, 2016Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON - With efforts to delay a second round of Medicare cuts stalled, the HME industry finds itself between a rock and a hard place, stakeholders say.“We're regrouping and figuring out with our champions where we go from here,” said John Gallagher, vice president of government relations for The VGM Group, of the cuts set for July 1 in non-bid areas.A modified version of H.R. 5210 was scheduled to go to vote last week, but an unexpected sit-in by House Democrats over gun control...
CQRC expresses 'disappointment' over House inaction
June 24, 2016HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - The Council for Quality Respiratory Care has called on Congressional leaders to act on legislation that would retroactively delay cuts that go into effect July 1. Although the Senate on June 22 unanimously passed S. 2736, an unexpected sit-in in the House of Representatives over gun control this week prevented a similar bill, H.R. 5210, from being passed before lawmakers adjourned for the July 4th recess. “We are extremely disappointed that the PADME Act was not passed before the...
Industry pulls out all stops to push bill
June 17, 2016Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON - Friday afternoon was a nail-biter for the HME industry as a bill that would delay a second phase of Medicare reimbursement cuts moved through the “hotline” process in the Senate.An unknown Republican Senate office on Friday put a hold on S. 2736, leading industry and state associations to blast urgent messages to members directing them to reach out to their senators.“We need a wave of immediate support,” VGM said in a bulletin. “The clock is literally ticking...
In brief: Bill gains momentum, deadline for sleep rule extended
June 10, 2016HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - A bill in the House of Representatives that would delay a second round of Medicare reimbursement cuts slated for July 1 has gained 18 additional co-sponsors in the wake of the AAHomecare Washington Legislative Conference, May 25-26. The total for H.R. 5210 now stands at 97. Additionally, the bill's sponsor, Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., testified June 8 at a House Ways & Means Health Subcommittee hearing on “Legislation to Improve and Sustain the Medicare Program.”“Patients'...
In brief: Big names support bid delay, group surveys drivers on sleep
April 22, 2016HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - Senate Finance Committee leaders have asked CMS to delay applying the next round of Medicare reimbursement cuts in rural areas.
In an April 18 letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell, Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., express their concerns that six months isn't long enough to detect and correct problems with the rollout of competitive bidding to non-bid areas.
“It is unlikely that CMS will be able...
Senate Finance leaders urge delay of bid pricing
April 20, 2016HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - Senate Finance Committee leaders have asked CMS to delay applying the next round of Medicare reimbursement cuts in rural areas.
In an April 18 letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell, Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., express their concerns that six months isn't long enough to detect and correct problems with the rollout of competitive bidding to non-bid areas.
“It is unlikely that CMS will be able...
Bid bill has sticking point in the House
April 15, 2016Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON - One month after the introduction of a Senate bill to delay competitive bidding cuts, industry stakeholders are still working to get a Democratic co-sponsor for a House companion bill.The sticking point: The bill's “pay-for,” which would speed up plans to limit federal Medicaid reimbursement for DME to the Medicare payment rates from Jan. 1, 2019, to Oct. 1, 2018.“There's a concern that, from a policy standpoint, we don't want a pay-for that affects the senior or disability...
Week brings volley of bid-related items
March 18, 2016Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON - Last week was busy for the HME industry as both CMS and stakeholders pushed and pulled against the competitive bidding program.CMS released the new single payment amounts for the Round 2 re-compete on March 15. With 117 geographic regions and thousands of HCPCS codes, stakeholders were faced with the daunting task of going through the numbers code by code to compare these allowables with those from the previous Round 2.So far, reductions are ranging from a few percentage points to 15%...