Industry Joins Effort to Extend Medicare Rate Relief
Industry Joins Effort to Extend Medicare Rate Relief
The American Association for Homecare has joined 42 healthcare organizations to urge leaders of Congress urging that they extend Medicare reimbursement relief until the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.
A letter from the group calls on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) to support continuing the pause on 2 percent Medicare sequester cuts through the duration of the public health emergency.
The 2 percent cut has been in effect since the 2012 Sequestration Transparency Act, as part of a deal to get out from under the debt ceiling at the time. The CARES Act put a pause on those cuts to help DMEPOS suppliers and other Medicare providers and suppliers during the COVID-19 public health emergency. However, the suspension only impacts claims with dates of service between May 1 and Dec. 31. Just the same, Congress has since extended this relief for an additional 90 days
H.R. 315, legislation launched by Reps. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) and David McKinley (R-W.V.) would continue that pause through the duration of the PHE. The letter to the Congressional leaders urges them to include H.R. 315’s provisions in the COVID-19 relief package.
“We need every resource at our disposal to meet the significant challenges that remain, especially as health care providers continue to endure financial strain caused by the pandemic,” the letter reads. “Now is not the time to cut Medicare reimbursements that are necessary to providing care to our communities.”
AAHomecare called on providers to ask their Senators and Representative to support H.R. 315, the Medicare Sequester Moratorium Act, by:
- Sending a personalized email to your Senators’ and Representative’s healthcare staffer asking them to support this legislation. There are find sample text here.
- Providers can also quickly send a message to their legislators through AAHomecare’s Action Center that supports extending the moratorium on these cuts. That said, AAHomecare noted a personal email to a staffer who handles healthcare issues will have a stronger and quicker impact.