Tag: Competitive Bidding
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...
VGM highlights increasing costs in letter to CMS
September 23, 2021HME News Staff
WATERLOO, Iowa – VGM & Associates has sent a letter asking CMS, at minimum, to pay all HME providers in non-rural areas, including those in the 130 competitive bidding areas, the 75/25 blended reimbursement rates to help them offset increasing costs.
“Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, acquisition costs for many products have been rising steadily in the form of incremental price increases,” writes Clint Geffert, president of VGM & Associates in the Sept. 8 letter....
GAO: Bid surety requirement didn’t impede small provider participation
August 19, 2021HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – Medicare’s bid surety bond requirement did not have a negative impact on small supplier participation in Round 2021 of the competitive bidding, says the Government Accountability Office in a new report.
For the report, “Effect of New Bid Surety Bond Requirement on Small Supplier Participation in the Competitive Bidding Program,” the GAO reviewed CMS’ data on supplier bids and contracts, and interviewed two DME trade organizations, including AAHomecare,...
CMS provides bid comparisons
August 5, 2021HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – CMS on Aug. 5 published another batch of data on Round 2021, this time comparing information from that round to previous rounds of the program.
The agency provides data for each round for the following categories:
product categories bid
competitive bidding areas bid
competitions bid
bidders eligible to evaluate
bids eligible to evaluate
product categories bid and implemented
competitive bidding areas bid...
In brief: CMS exempts accessories, Advanced Diabetes buys US MED, FDA classifies Philips recall
July 30, 2021HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – CMS in a final rule issued July 29 says it will permanently stop applying competitive bidding pricing to accessories for complex rehab manual wheelchairs.
In late June, CMS agreed to extend an 18-month pause on applying bid pricing to these accessories for an additional 90 days, until Oct. 1., to give the agency more time to review the industry’s request.
“We are sincerely grateful to CMS for making today’s policy decision and protecting...
Stakeholders: Get in front of lawmakers in August
July 16, 2021Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
PHOENIX – When Congress breaks for recess next month, the industry needs to prime the pump for the fall, said John Gallagher, vice president of government relations for VGM, at Medtrade West.
“It’s time for the August of Action,” he said during a legislative update at that the show. “They’ll have the infrastructure package behind them, so when they come back, they will be dealing with issues related to Medicare and health care, so reach out to them while...
Reimbursement relief: Stakeholders play all angles
July 9, 2021Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON – Industry stakeholders say Congress is “definitely getting back to work,” after a long spring, during which there was little movement on HME issues.
Stakeholders have been meeting with industry champion Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., to discuss legislative language for competitive bidding relief, line up a co-sponsor and identify possible vehicles for the fall, they said.
“We’ve had Hill visits, face-to-face meetings with members...
CMS releases additional Round 2021 bid data
May 25, 2021HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – CMS received 45,815 eligible bids for Round 2021 of the competitive bidding program, according to additional information it released today.
The total number of eligible bids did not include the 3,313 bids for non-invasive ventilators, which CMS dropped from the bidding program in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Total bidders who submitted at least one bid that was eligible to evaluate (i.e., at least one bid that was complete/certified...
Össur upgrades Empower
February 9, 2021HME News Staff
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. – Össur has updated its proprietary Empower program to help physician practices and DMEPOS providers comply with new competitive bidding requirements for knee and back braces that went into effect Jan. 1.
Empower now has built-in prompts for new reimbursement coding and document capture requirements, and automatic mapping to designated contract providers based on a patient’s address.
“CMS’s new competitive bidding practice mandates...