Tag: Competitive Bidding
‘Flawed from the beginning’: Revival of bidding program raises alarms
June 20, 2025Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
YARMOUTH, Maine – After several years of wondering if they will or won’t, CMS has signaled its intent to restart the Medicare competitive bidding program. It’s an unwelcome and surprising development for 71% of respondents to a recent HME Newspoll.
The Department of Health and Human Services on May 30 released a FY 2026 Budget in Brief that earmarked $22 million for the program.
“I am disappointed they’ve reinstated this program that was clearly flawed...
‘We know the headwind’: Stakeholders react to return of competitive bidding
June 6, 2025Liz Beaulieu, Editor
WASHINGTON – The home medical equipment industry is bracing for updates on the next round of Medicare’s national competitive bidding program, with a proposed rule expected in July 2025. A key concern among stakeholders is what changes CMS may introduce to the bid submission, evaluation and selection process.
The most recent round of the competitive bidding program included several significant changes, many influenced by industry feedback. These included changing the...
CMS signals return of DMEPOS competitive bidding
June 3, 2025HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – The federal government is preparing to restart the DMEPOS competitive bidding program, according to two newly released documents from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and CMS.
In its FY 2026 Budget in Brief, HHS earmarked $22 million to relaunch the program, which has been on hiatus for several years. The document describes competitive bidding as a strategic investment that reduces costs for taxpayers while maintaining Medicare...
AAH: ‘It’s time to get to work’
March 11, 2025HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, along with three original cosponsors, has introduced a bi-partisan bill to establish a 75-25 blended Medicare reimbursement rate for DMEPOS in non-competitive bidding, non-rural areas through the end of 2025.
Rep. Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., who along with Miller-Meeks is a member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, and Reps. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, and Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., who are members of the Ways & Means Committee, cosponsored...
Industry champions ‘ready to fight again’
January 17, 2025Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON – With the new Congress already sworn in and at work, HME stakeholders are looking for a quick re-introduction of legislation that would extend Medicare’s 75/25 blended rates in certain areas, says AAHomecare.
Despite intense lobbying, H.R. 5555 and S. 1294 failed to make it into an end-of-year spending package during the previous Congress. Introduced in 2023, the bills that would have extended the blended rates for an additional year in non-competitive bidding, non-rural...
In brief: AdaptHealth’s static revenue, bid program’s impact, AOM’s Western expansion
November 6, 2024HME News Staff
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. – AdaptHealth reported third quarter net revenue of $805.9 million compared to $804 million, an increase of 0.2% year over year.
Net income attributable to AdaptHealth was $22.9 million vs. a net loss of $454.1 million. Adjusted EBITDA was $164.3 million vs. $161.2 million, an increase of 1.9%
“I continue to be optimistic about the road ahead,” said Suzanne Foster, CEO. “We have identified growth opportunities, we are assembling a high...
Bid program had no significant impact on access, study finds
November 5, 2024HME News Staff
CHICAGO – Medicare's phased implementation of the competitive bidding program in 2011 and 2013 did not reduce oxygen use, according to the findings of a new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. In the cohort study of 5,753,308 Medicare beneficiaries with COPD, the program was associated with only a 0.19 percentage point reduction in new oxygen prescriptions and a 0.77 percentage point reduction in oxygen discontinuations, researchers say. As such, the currently proposed legislation...
Report makes case for ‘fully funding’ DME
September 24, 2024HME News Staff
WATERLOO, Iowa – The cost of treating injuries and illnesses due to lack of DME far exceeds the cost of providing the necessary equipment, according to a new report from Leitten Consulting.
For example, every dollar spent on mobility equipment can save Medicare $62.53 in treatment costs, the report found.
“An ounce of prevention is now worth several pounds of cure,” said Brian Leitten, CEO of Leitten Consulting, which specializes in health care policy analysis...
In brief: AAH pushes for follow up, StateServ buys PBM, ADS builds C-suite
January 24, 2024HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – The U.S. House of Representatives passed a short-term spending bill on Jan. 18 to keep the government funded until the beginning of March, AAHomecare reports, but the bill does not contain various health care extender measures, including the industry’s provision to extend the 75/25 blended Medicare reimbursement rates in non-rural areas.
“We are continuing to work with our champions, as well as influential legislators and committee staff, to pass our legislation...
Reimbursement relief: 'Please follow up,’ AAH says
January 22, 2024HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – The U.S. House of Representatives passed a short-term spending bill on Jan. 18 to keep the government funded until the beginning of March, AAHomecare reports, but the bill does not contain various health care extender measures, including the industry’s provision to extend the 75/25 blended Medicare reimbursement rates in non-rural areas.
“We are continuing to work with our champions, as well as influential legislators and committee staff, to pass our legislation...