IFR doesn't go as far as bid bill

WASHINGTON - The HME industry has at least one more detail about a competitive bidding-related interim final rule that has been under wraps and stuck at the Office of Management and Budget.

The OMB, which included the IFR in its semi-annual Unified Agenda, says it “amends the regulation to resume the transition period for items furnished from August 1, 2017, through December 31, 2018.”

H.R. 4229 would extend the transition period from Jan. 1, 2017, to Dec. 31, 2018.

The transition period refers to a provision in the 21st Century Cures Act that delayed a second round of reimbursement cuts in non-bid areas from July 1, 2016, to Jan. 1, 2017.

The Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions is a compilation of information about regulations under development by federal agencies published in the spring and fall.