Tag: Competitive Bidding
AAHomecare: Turn pain into action
August 12, 2022Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON – Rising inflation, outdated reimbursement and competitive bidding were the topics of conversation during a recent meeting between industry stakeholders and CMS officials.
Stakeholders have been ramping up questions about the bidding program, in particular, after a vague notice of proposed rulemaking with a December date was included in the Unified Agenda.
“I didn’t see any sense of urgency (from CMS) in moving forward and certainly from a timeline standpoint,...
Stakeholders search for intel on bid program
July 8, 2022Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON – With CMS staying mum on a possible next round of the competitive bidding program, stakeholders want to know, “What’s the plan?”
“Nobody knows what CMS is doing or what their game plan is, as far as the next round of bidding,” said John Gallagher, vice president of government relations for VGM. “It’s supposedly out there for December, but nobody knows if that is only for braces or what it is they will push and, in the meantime,...
AAH on reimbursement relief: ‘Many report not hearing from you’
March 22, 2022HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – Members of the House of Representatives need to hear about the HME industry’s support for H.R. 6641, a bill that would implement a 90/10 blended reimbursement rate for Medicare in competitive bidding areas, AAHomecare says.
“AAHomecare has been in contact with multiple congressional offices since H.R. 6641 was introduced on Feb. 8,” the association stated in a bulletin. “While legislators and staff are familiar with the challenges the HME community...
Reps. Mullin, Tonko introduce DMEPOS Relief Act
February 8, 2022HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – Reps. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., and Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., have introduced a bill that would implement a 90-10 blended reimbursement rate for the 13 product categories that were removed from the current round of Medicare’s competitive bidding program.
The DMEPOS Relief Act would implement a previously used rate by CMS based 90% on bid pricing and 10% on the 2015 fee schedule, representing about a 10% to 15% increase compared to the current rates, to help address...
CBIC launches redesigned web page
January 6, 2022HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – CMS and the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor have launched a redesigned home page. The new, user- and mobile-friendly page features improved aesthetics, simplified visual content emphasizing the current competitive bidding program phase, one-click easy access to each phase, and a new display of upcoming events. The site also has contract supplier FAQs that answer general questions about the DMEPOS CBP and Connexion FAQs to assist in locating and completing forms in...
In brief: CMS moves on proposed rule, Paragon closes four deals, VGM updates bid study
October 22, 2021HME News Staff
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 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 and manufacturers...
DMEPOS proposed rule is on the move
October 19, 2021HME News Staff
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...
VGM, Leitten update bid study
October 19, 2021HME News Staff
WATERLOO, Iowa – VGM Government Relations, in conjunction with Brian Leitten and Leitten Consulting, has released an updated study analyzing efforts by CMS to control distribution of DME. The study, “Competitive Bidding – A Decade Focused on the Wrong Prize. The Case for Medicare Investment in DME in 2021,” looks at how competitive bidding generated savings and reduced fraud but missed an even larger opportunity to invest in DME. “The costs that CMS saved over a...
Verma on PHE flexibilities: ‘I don’t think it’s possible to go back to business as usual’
October 8, 2021Liz Beaulieu, Editor
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Seema Verma, former CMS administrator and a new member of WellSky’s board of directors, shares her thoughts on everything from health care software to PHE-related flexibilities to competitive bidding.
HME News: Can you talk about the role that providers of health care software, analytics and services play in improving health care efficiency and outcomes?
Seema Verma: Providers of health care software are on the frontlines, as they create the tools...
Letter pushes for finalizing DMEPOS proposed rule
September 29, 2021HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., are collecting signatures for a letter asking the Department of Health and Human Services and CMS to finalize a DMEPOS proposed rule that would adjust the payment amounts in non-competitive bidding areas.
The proposed rule would also extend 50/50 blended reimbursement rates in rural/non-contiguous areas.
“We appreciate HHS’s and CMS’s efforts to make changes to Medicare policy...