Tag: Craig Douglas

There are a myriad of challenges facing DME/HME providers, not the least of which is a sharp increase in costs pertaining to several facets of their business. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, PPE, fuel, vehicle and labor costs have risen sharply. Several major DME manufacturers have now announced yet another round of surcharges that have been or will be implemented. In other industries, when a surcharge or price increase is incurred, the cost is passed to the end user purchasing that product....

WASHINGTON - U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., have introduced a bill that would extend the moratorium on the 2% Medicare sequestration cuts through the public health emergency.   Right now, the moratorium is set to expire March 31.   The “pay for” for the bill, S. 748, would extend the sequestration cuts to 2031, instead of 2030, said Seth Johnson, senior vice president of government affairs for Pride Mobility Products.  “We...

COLUMBIA, S.C. – HME providers are fighting large managed care organizations that are increasingly pushing into more states and offering reduced reimbursement rates, say industry stakeholders.  The straw that’s breaking the camel’s back: The COVID-19 pandemic pushing the cost of doing business even higher, says Craig Douglas, vice president of payer and member relations for VGM.  “Acquisition...

YARMOUTH, Maine - A recent decision by the Washington, D.C., Medicaid program to raise reimbursement for competitive bid items was a win, but stakeholders say it's a constant battle to keep payers from lowering payments in the first place.“We are continuing to see the different payers, whether that be state Medicaid programs (or others), adopt Medicare rates or a discount below Medicare rates,” said Laura Williard, vice president of payer relations for AAHomecare. “In some cases,...