Reimbursement relief up for discussion
By HME News Staff
Updated 11:51 AM CST, Tue November 14, 2023
WASHINGTON – Two industry related bills will be considered by the Health Subcommittee tomorrow, Nov. 15, according to AAHomecare.
The subcommittee, part of the Energy & Commerce Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, will consider:
- H.R. 5555, a bill that would extend the 75/25 blended Medicare reimbursement rates in non-competitive bidding areas and provide a 90/10 blended rate in bid areas; and
- H.R. 5371, a bill that would allow an upgrade within a code for carbon fiber and titanium wheelchairs.
Stakeholders are asking those who are represented by members of the Energy & Commerce Committee to email their staffers to support both bills. They recommend using the following language:
Please support legislation sought by the DME community in Wednesday’s Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee mark-up.
Congress must address out-of-date DME Medicare payment rates. Please support H.R. 5555, which provides much-needed relief for DME suppliers through 2024 and will send a message to CMS that a longer-term, market-based rate making solution is needed to ensure patient access to cost-effective home-based care.
Medicare beneficiaries should have the choice to pay for a titanium or carbon fiber upgrade to their manual wheelchair. Please support H.R. 5371, legislation that would enable upgrades within a code, offering benefits to end users at no additional cost to CMS.
Check out these issue briefs for H.R. 5555 and H.R. 5371 for more information.
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