Tag: AAHomcare

WASHINGTON – AAHomecare has developed a letter that providers can send to payers explaining the CPAP device shortage and asking them to temporarily relax compliance requirements. In the wake of supply chain challenges related to semiconductor chips, manufacturers have released products that don’t have wireless cell modem data tracking technology for recording patient compliance data. The letter asks payers to remove, for a limited period of time, any policy requiring patient compliance...

WASHINGTON – AAHomecare has launched an online survey to assess the impact of supply chain constraints and the increased costs of products, deliveries and personnel on HME companies that provide incontinence supplies. The association plans to use results from the survey in aggregate form to educate payers on the need for sustainable reimbursement. The survey is open to all companies that provide incontinence supplies, including diapers, pads and briefs. It closes March 18. 

WASHINGTON – HME industry stakeholders and their champions in Congress are close to finalizing legislative language to provide reimbursement relief.  AAHomecare’s Jay Witter had a meeting scheduled on Jan. 14 with the staff of Rep. Markwayne Mullin, R.-Okla., who will take the lead on the legislation.  “We’re meeting for final approval, changes or (to address) any questions, but we’re hoping to wrap the legislation up quickly and get it introduced in...

WASHINGTON – CMS has sent the DMEPOS proposed rule to the Office of Management and Budget for final review, AAHomecare reports.  A letter asking CMS to act on the rule, published a year ago, garnered 95 signatures last week from members of the House of Representatives, including champions on the influential Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce committees.  “Capitol Hill is starting to understand the market realities and new operational environment that suppliers...

WASHINGTON – Rates in former competitive bidding areas should be based on a 90/10 blended payment formula, AAHomecare argues in its comments to CMS’s recent DMEPOS Proposed Rule.  “The 90% should be based on the current payment rates in former CBAs, and the 10% should be based on the 2015 unadjusted fee schedule,” the association says.  Non-rural, non-CBAs should be based on a 75/25 blended payment formula, with the 75% based on the current rates...

ATLANTA - Wendy Russalesi, chief compliance officer for AdaptHealth, has been named 2019 Woman of the Year.Russalesi, who has worked in the HME industry for more than 20 years, received the VGM-sponsored award before the AAHomecare Washington Update on Tuesday morning.Russalesi plays an integral role in the strategic direction, implementation and oversight of AdaptHealth's corporate compliance programs and ensures the provider meets compliance requirements on the local, state and federal level. AdaptHealth,...

WASHINGTON - Tricare, the healthcare program for uniformed services members and their families, will also adjust payments from June through December 2016 per a provision in the 21st Century Cures Act, according to AAHomecare.The provision in the Cures Act requires Medicare to retroactively delay a second round of reimbursement cuts in non-bid areas from July 1, 2016, to Jan. 1, 2017, allowing providers to recoup a portion of six months worth of payments.In a letter responding to HME providers...

WASHINGTON - With legislation to modify the national rollout of competitive bidding in the works, industry stakeholders are setting the stage for a full court press.But there's only so much they can do until they have a “score” from the Congressional Budget Office, they say.“We'll begin a full grassroots push, which we've lined up,” said Tom Ryan, president and CEO of AAHomecare. “We can work the committees and we can work the grassroots angle, but we've got to get a...