Legislative


radar screen

Annual Roundtable

What's On Your Radar?

COVID-19 continues to dominate the headlines as it wreaks healthcare havoc, but there are 8 strategic trends poised to impact your business in the coming weeks and months. Are you monitoring them? Are you prepared? HMEB's editorial advisory board shares their insights.

Washington Conference Engages Lawmakers from 40 States

AAHomecare’s first-ever virtual version of the event involved 140 HME advocates who met with more than 220 Congressional offices on various industry issues, with insufficient Medicare rates that don’t match providers’ costs topping the list.

NEMEP Reschedules Fall Virtual Education Week

The Northeast association has postponed the schedule of its online education event from Sept. 27-Oct. 1 to Nov. 1-5.

AAHomecare: ‘Add Your Voice’

In the run-up to its Sept. 29 Washington Conference, the association reminds HME providers that it can’t make new meeting requests after Sept. 22, so they must register right away for the upcoming virtual lobbying event.

ACMESA Wraps Successful 2021 Summer Meeting

The Aug. 18-19 event was in-person with masks and social distancing encouraged, and saw the debut of the inaugural Tart Advocacy & Leadership Award.

AAHomecare: Register for the Washington Legislative Conference Now

Association calling for industry advocates to register for the Sept. 29 virtual lobbying event now so that there is plenty of time to slate video meetings with lawmakers and staff.

Q&A

AAHomecare: Dealing with Delta

AAHomcare’s Tom Ryan about how the industry association is approaching the Delta variant and its impact on HME providers from a regulatory and reimbursement standpoint

AAHomecare Joins Effort to Protect Ostomy Supplies

HME association and other ostomy stakeholders release a new whitepaper aimed at educating payers on why they must protect reimbursement for ostomy supplies.

AAHomecare Gearing up for Virtual Washington Conference

Like last year’s Washington conference, the Sept. 29 lobbying effort will connect providers with lawmakers and legislative staff using a virtual meeting platform. 

AAHomecare Retains D.C. Lobbying Firm

The association has added The Nickles Group to its team of lobbying consultants. The firm brought on the former health policy director for the Senate Finance Committee, Brett Baker.



CRT Accessory Exemption Estimated at $170 Million

After permanently ending the application of bid pricing to CRT accessories, CMS provides estimates of the positive impact for suppliers in its final rule.

Pennsylvania Exempts Breast Pumps From Sales Tax

The new legislation removes sales tax of all retail transactions of breast pumps and related items starting Jan. 1, 2022.

Industry Works to Gain More Ground With ARPA Relief

After last week’s Medicaid gains in Massachusetts, AAHomecare, state associations and stakeholders pursue additional relief for HME providers in more states via the American Rescue Plan Act.

CMS Halts Applying Bid Pricing to Manual CRT Accessories

After extending a temporary suspension of any cuts until Sept. 30, CMS has released a final rule stating it will permanently stop applying bid-derived pricing to manual CRT accessory reimbursement.

VGM’s Gallagher Underscores Need to Meet With Lawmakers

A new VGM video offers guidelines and tips for how HME advocates can make the most of meeting with lawmakers while they are in their home districts for the August recess.

Bill to Nix MCO Self-Referrals Launched in Pennsylvania

HME providers and stakeholders in the state are encouraged to contact their State Representatives in support of H.B. 1726.

MassHealth Implementing 10% Rate Increase for DME Claims

Funding comes after HOMES and AAHomecare push Massachusetts to provide relief via the American Rescue Plan Act and sets the stage to notify Medicaid officials in other states.

Burr, Bennet Launch Wound Care Legislation

Bill aims to update CMS payment rules to add disposable NPWT devices to product options for at-home wound care and standardize payment method for NPWT devices.

Podcast

HME's Legislative, Regulatory and Payer Relations Priorities

The AAHomecare Update at this week's Medtrade Spring offered a winder range of updates. Staff share their top-line priorities from that update, such as increasing SPA rates, extending relief, CMS's proposed O2 NCD and the American Rescue Plan.

AAHomecare Update: Leveraging HME’s Value

A central theme at Medtrade’s Wednesday AAHomecare Update will be how the industry can make the most of the value to U.S. healthcare it demonstrated during COVID.

HME Business Podcast