In brief: AAH’s call to action, DreamStation’s new designation, CMS’s new ABN

WASHINGTON – AAHomecare is urging providers to build support for the DIABETES Act (S. 4037), which, among other things, would delay Medicare competitive bidding for continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and insulin pumps for five years.

The bill, which was introduced March 12 by Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, would also expand Medicare coverage of diabetes self-management training sessions.

AAHomecare says stakeholders can build important early support for this legislation by sending an email to their senator’s health care staffer, asking their office to sign-on as co-sponsors. Stakeholders can go here for a pre-drafted letter.

The association says the DIABETES Act is the first major opportunity for DME advocates to push back against the new competitive bidding program. It joins a roster of active federal policy priorities, including:

• Restoring 75/25 Medicare blended rate relief in non-CB/non-rural areas
• Removing oxygen from the CB program and creating new liquid oxygen payment methodologies (SOAR Act)
• Streamlining patient access for carbon fiber/titanium manual wheelchairs

The bills will be a focal point for AAHomecare’s Washington Legislative Conference, scheduled for May 13-14, but the association is encouraging all stakeholders to be a “force-multiplier” for Hill meetings by reaching out to their members of Congress on at least one issue.

“Your voice, your experience, your passion, and your advocacy can make a difference,” the association stated in an email bulletin. “Take the first step and email your legislators on one of these policy priorities over the next two weeks.”

• Related: Stakeholders build foundation for bid delay legislation

AAH shares list of fraud-fighting recommendations

WASHINGTON – AAHomecare has shared a list of key recommendations in response to a request for information (RFI) from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on ideas to strengthen the agency’s program integrity efforts. The association will include the recommendations in its comments on the RFI titled “Related to Comprehensive Regulations to Uncover Suspicious Healthcare (CRUSH).” The recommendations:

• Strengthen provider enrollment requirements for new providers: To prevent fraudulent entities from cycling through the market, AAHomecare recommends implementing a robust identity verification and authentication process to ensure bad actors cannot re-enter under new company names.
• Improve quality of site visits: There is a critical need to improve the quality of site visits by employing experienced and knowledgeable inspectors. Inaccurate site visits have major consequences, and CMS should review the number of deactivations and revocations that are eventually reinstated to identify systemic issues.
• Improve cross-program enforcement: If a company’s Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) status is revoked, that revocation should be applied across all government healthcare programs, including Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicaid.
• Monitor electronic funds transfer (EFT) activity of new suppliers: CMS should monitor EFT activity of new suppliers. When there are large deposits or transfers, those transactions should be flagged and reviewed for any potential suspicious activity.
• Mandate targeted probe and educate (TPE) on new suppliers: All new supplier locations should be placed in the TPE program to ensure they are compliant from the start. If a new supplier cannot pass TPE after three rounds of education and correction, CMS should consider revocation.
• Promote electronic orders: CMS should encourage the use of electronic orders as it would improve integration between orders and medical records, communication between providers and suppliers, and will create a digital audit trail, making it easier to identify issues with orders.
• Leverage technology to review claims in real time: Available technology could enable CMS to review claims as they are submitted. AAHomecare has already engaged CMS to explore a proof of concept where automated review flags concerns and prompts direct beneficiary outreach.
• Create a CMS tech liaison: A specific liaison position should be created at CMS to coordinate with technology platforms which include industry billing companies and third party technology platforms. These platforms are often the first to see suspicious spikes in activity and need direct contact to report potential fraud.
• Improve MA oversight: The lack of consistency among the hundreds of MA plans has created confusion within the industry and likely undermined efforts to combat fraud due to the lack of clarity. MA plans should be required to follow all Medicare requirements, including operational, coverage, and payment policies.
• Expanding prior authorization: CMS should expand the list of HCPCS codes subject to prior authorization to enable review of orders prior to delivery, claim submissions and payment.

CMS is accepting comments via the Submit a Comment tab near the top of the Federal Register announcement until March 30, 2026.

Trump creates Task Force to Eliminate Fraud

WASHINGTON – President Donald J. Trump has signed an executive order creating the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, which will advise the president and coordinate government-wide efforts to combat widespread fraud, waste and abuse in federal benefit programs.

The order directs the task force, on behalf of the president, to coordinate a comprehensive national strategy to stop fraud, waste, and abuse across federal benefit programs, including housing, food, medical care and cash assistance administered with state and local partners, to protect these benefits for eligible Americans.

The task force will coordinate measures to:

• Improve eligibility verification
• Implement pre-payment controls
• Detect high-risk fraud trends
• Disrupt and dismantle fraud networks and the mechanisms through which fraud is committed

Vice President JD Vance will serve as chair of the task force. The chairman of the Federal Trade Commission will serve as vice chairman, the assistant to the president for Homeland Security will serve as senior advisor, and an executive director will manage daily operations. Relevant cabinet secretaries and heads of government agencies will serve as members.

In January 2026, Vance announced a new division at the Department of Justice dedicated to national fraud enforcement. 

• Related: Administrator Oz: CMS must ‘shut the whole country down’ to stop DME fraud

Aveanna to acquire Family First Homecare

ATLANTA – Aveanna Healthcare Holding has entered into an agreement to acquire Family First Holding (Family First Homecare), expanding its specialized care model across an enhanced geographic footprint. Family First Homecare is a provider of pediatric home care that primarily provides skilled private duty nursing services with 27 locations in seven states – Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas and North Carolina. “I am excited to welcome the entire Family First Homecare team to Aveanna,” said Jeff Shaner, CEO of Aveanna. “Like Aveanna, the Family First Homecare team is committed to delivering high-quality and patient-centered clinical care that produces exceptional outcomes for patients and families,” said Jeff Shaner, CEO of Aveanna. “Family First Homecare is a tremendous cultural fit for us and reinforces our strategic mission to deliver high quality care while bringing unprecedented value and clinical innovation to our payors and stakeholders.” Family First Homecare was founded in 2012 and received a strategic minority investment from Trivest Partners, a leading growth investment firm, in 2021. Aveanna, which has locations in 38 states, intends to fund the Family First Homecare acquisition with a combination of cash on hand and existing short-term credit facility borrowing. The transaction is expected to close in the second fiscal quarter of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.

• Related: Aveanna acquires family care agency

Sens. Young, Warnock introduce diabetic shoe bill

WASHINGTON – Sens. Todd Young, R-Ind., and Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., have introduced the Diabetes Foot Health Access and Modernization Act to increase access to diabetic shoes for more Americans by allowing a nurse practitioner or physician assistant to fulfill documentation requirements for coverage under Medicare. Currently, only a physician may do so. The legislation would help reduce preventative health complications, drive medical costs down for Americans, and improve the wellbeing of these patients, the senators say. “Our bill will make it easier for Americans living with diabetes to access proper medical care that is critical to avoiding more serious health complications,” said Young. “Increasing access to care like this is important.” Some Americans with diabetes on either Medicaid or Medicare face access issues when trying to obtain a diabetic shoe. Left untreated, foot complications such as ulcers, neuropathy, and vascular disease can result in lower extremity amputations for patients. These amputations can be prevented with proper foot care, the senators say.

Medical Supplies council extends impact survey

WASHINGTON – AAHomecare’s Medical Supplies Council is extending the deadline for a nationwide Market Impact Survey to assess the ongoing effects of reimbursement levels, supply chain volatility, product and operational costs, and staffing pressures across a variety of disposable supplies, as well as continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and insulin infusion pumps. The association says insights gathered from the 2026 survey will be critical in advocacy efforts for competitive bidding, state Medicaid discussions, and payer education to help quantify the growing gap between reimbursement and the cost of providing care. It says all information gathered will be confidential and will only be reflected in aggregate data. All HME providers – regardless of AAHomecare membership – who provide any of the following product categories are encouraged to participate:

• Ostomy supplies
• Urological supplies
• Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs)
• Insulin infusion pumps
• Incontinence supplies
• Wound care supplies
• Enteral nutrition

Take the survey here by Friday, March 27, 2026. For questions about the survey, contact Stephanie Legree at stephaniel@aahomecare.org. 

Philips DreamStation receives medically necessary designation for certain patients

ANDOVER, Mass. – Philips has announced that DreamStation BiPAP AVAPS devices have been designated as medical necessary for lower-weight patients with breathing impairment. The devices, which include S, T, S/T, and PC modes with AVAPS, are available for sale in the United States for new setups for patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and respiratory impairment, who are both >7 years of age and weighing 40-66 pounds. “Patient safety is at the heart of everything we do, and expanding access to advanced, reliable care is essential,” said Sam Talya, business category leader, Therapy Platforms, Sleep and Respiratory Care at Philips. “The availability of DreamStation BiPAP AVAPS devices in the US for lower-weight patients supports a limited patient population. It is a signal of our commitment to ensure access to safe, effective respiratory solutions for patients who need them most.” Philips says it is also committed to returning to serving all patients when it has fully met the requirements of the Philips Respironics consent decree, a separate set of legal requirements that the company is diligently working to meet.

CMS issues new ABN

WASHINGTON - The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved a new Advance Beneficiary Notice of Non-coverage (ABN) for three years. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has made the new ABN available for download here. The updated ABN is effective now and expires March 31, 2029. Providers may continue to use the expired version of the ABN until May 12, 2026, but must transition to the approved form no later than that date.

• Related: CMS working on updated advance beneficiary form.

ACHC launches accreditation distinction for Ig therapy

CARY, N.C. – The Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) has partnered with the Immunoglobulin National Society (IgNS) to launch the Distinction in Immunoglobulin Therapy. This new distinction offers specialty and infusion pharmacies a formal path to demonstrate advanced clinical and operational excellence in the delivery of immunoglobulin (Ig) therapy across all sites of care. “This partnership is an important step toward improving patient safety in Ig therapy,” said Matt Hughes, vice president of ACHC Community Care Services. “IgNS is the only national standards-setting organization dedicated to advancing the practice of Ig therapy and biologics across clinical specialties and sites of care. The society’s focus on clinician preparation and competencies is an ideal complement to ACHC’s focus on achievement and maintenance of quality and safety standards at the organizational level.” Developed in response to the growing demand for clinical excellence, safety, efficacy and accountability, the distinction ensures the delivery of life-saving Ig therapy to patients with multiple immune-mediated disorders. As the highly specialized field of Ig therapy continues to expand due to improved diagnostic methodologies, new clinical indications and increasing access across sites of care, formal accreditation parameters are crucial to guide practice, ensure safety, and reinforce best practices across the continuum of care, ACHC says.

HME partners with Yuwell, adds respiratory to portfolio

RICHMOND, B.C. – HME Medical Distribution has entered a new national partnership with Yuwell, a manufacturer of home respiratory and medical devices, expanding its portfolio into respiratory, CPAP and related medical products. “As HME has expanded over the past 12 years, we are now moving beyond our roots in durable medical equipment and into the medical distribution of CPAP, respiratory and other products,” said Robert Boscacci, co-founder and CEO of HME. “This is an exciting milestone for HME as we continue building toward becoming Canada’s Canadian-owned and operated medical equipment company, proudly headquartered in British Columbia.” Under the agreement, HME will distribute Yuwell’s respiratory and medical product portfolio to dealers nationwide, leveraging its established logistics infrastructure, national warehousing footprint and integrated technology platform. HME recently opened a new rental center to serve as a central hub.

• Related: Inogen-Yuwell launch new stationary oxygen concentrator

Medline named Top Place to Work

NORTHFIELD, Ill. – Medline has been named to Becker's Healthcare's annual list of Top Places to Work in Healthcare, which recognizes health care companies and providers that it says are setting the standard for what it means to be an exceptional workplace in 2026. To make the list, Becker's Healthcare considers investments in people, benefits offerings, professional development opportunities, workplace environments and community impact. Medline's core company values, benefits offerings and employee experience were highlighted as reasons for its selection. "Being recognized by Becker's again reflects the values our employees bring to life every day," said Christopher Shryock, Medline chief human resources officer. "Our teams take pride in serving our customers, tackling complex challenges and supporting one another. That connection to purpose helps create a culture where people can do their best work and thrive."

Chapman DME Billing rebrands

JACKSON, Ga. – Chapman DME Billing has rebranded as Chapman RCM Group to reflect the company’s continued growth and expanded focus on revenue cycle management (RCM) for durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers, says Owner Dawn Clayton. Chapman RCM Group provides billing, compliance support, denial management and authorization services to DME providers nationwide using a fully U.S.-based, onshore workforce. Clayton says the new name reflects the company’s broader role in helping suppliers navigate payer policy changes and maintain compliant, efficient revenue cycle operations. Clayton has more than 25 years of experience in the DME industry across every stage of the revenue cycle.