Signing frenzy: Stakeholders race to collect signatures for two letters
By HME News Staff
Updated Tue October 2, 2018
WASHINGTON - A sign-on letter in the House of Representatives that seeks additional relief from Medicare's competitive bidding program has nearly 100 signatures, VGM Group reports this week.
The deadline for collecting signatures for the letter, spearheaded by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., is this Friday, Oct. 5.
“Great work reaching out to your member of Congress,” VGM stated in a bulletin.
The letter will be sent to CMS Administrator Seema Verma, HHS Secretary Alex Azar and OMB Director Mick Mulvaney.
In the letter, representatives push CMS to increase reimbursement rates in bid areas until the next round of the program is implemented and to extend 50/50 blended reimbursement rates to all non-bid areas as part of a forthcoming final rule.
Stakeholders can look up whether or not their representative has signed on to the letter here.
A companion sign-on letter in the Senate, spearheaded by Sens. John Thune, R, S.D., and Heidi Heitkamp, D, N.D., has one additional signature from Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo. The deadline for that letter is Thursday, Oct. 4.
“There have already been several (senators) who are expressing interest in the letter,” VGM states. “Continue reaching out to Senate offices this week to match the outstanding support from the House.”
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