Providers seek to preserve right to serve diabetics
By HME News Staff
Updated Tue June 30, 2009
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.--HME providers here staved off - at least temporarily - a plan to allow only Medicaid-enrolled pharmacies to bill the program for diabetes supplies.
Providers first learned of the proposal - which still hadn't been finalized - on May 20 when Beth Kidder, senior Medicaid policy director, announced it to attendees at the Florida Home Care Conference hosted by the Florida Alliance of Home Care Services (FAHCS) and the Accredited Medical Equipment Providers of America (AMEPA).
“The target was the end of June but they pushed it back to July after they were inundated with calls from providers,” said Sean Schwinghammer, executive director of FAHCS.
The association collected provider questions on the proposed change and forwarded them to the Agency for Home Care Administration (AHCA), which oversees the Medicaid program.
Although he acknowledged that Medicaid could very well implement the policy as early as this month, Schwinghammer said he hoped there was room for compromise.
“We are working diligently at this time to try and alter the plan in some fashion and at least have it make more sense,” he said. “ACHA is receptive to some of the ideas we are putting forth, but I'm going to be realistic. In their mind, there is justification for what they are looking to do.”
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