Tag: Jay Witter
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...
Lobbying for reimbursement relief is urgent, stakeholders say
August 4, 2023Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON – With lawmakers back in their home districts for the August recess, industry stakeholders are pressing for grassroots activity, which will help set the stage for a big push for reimbursement relief in the fall.
The major ask at play: S. 1294, introduced in April by Sens. John Thune, R-S.D., and Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., which would extend the 75/25 blended Medicare reimbursement rate for suppliers in non-rural, non-competitive bidding areas through the end of 2024.
“We’re...
AAH to Congress: It’s ‘rough’ out there
May 13, 2022Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON – AAHomecare had several meetings lined up with lawmakers on Capitol Hill the week of May 9 as it worked to grow support for reimbursement relief.
“We’re primarily working the House side on H.R. 6641 and the committees of jurisdiction – Energy & Commerce and Ways & Means,” said Tom Ryan, president and CEO. “Unfortunately, it’s all Republicans, because they are the only ones doing face-to-face meetings.”
Introduced Feb. 8...
Industry challenges: ‘They’re concerning to everyone’
October 1, 2021Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON – AAHomecare kicked off the busy fall legislative session with its first-ever Virtual Legislative Conference last week and a sign-on letter pressing CMS to finalize a DMEPOS proposed rule that would adjust payment rates.
The letter, spearheaded by Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., a ranking member on the House Energy & Commerce Committee, and Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., is the first in a two-step process to get relief for the industry, says Jay Witter.
“We’ve...
Stakeholders seek five-year bid delay for non-invasive vents
October 22, 2019Liz Beaulieu, Editor
ATLANTA - A bill could be introduced literally any day now to pump the brakes on CMS's plans to include non-invasive ventilation in its competitive bidding program, AAHomecare's Jay Witter told Medtrade attendees on Tuesday morning.
The bill would delay the inclusion of non-invasive vents in the program for five years—or two rounds of bidding—and would require the creation of an expert panel to create a “good medical policy” for the product category, said Witter,...
Bid relief update: Stakeholders target ESRD rule, as pressure mounts
May 4, 2018Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON - Industry stakeholders say an upcoming rule could be a potential vehicle for changes to Medicare's competitive bidding program.
Last week, the Office of Management and Budget indicated that the proposed rule, CY 2019 Changes to the End-Stage Renal Disease Prospective Payment System, is under review.
“We talk to the Health and Human Services folks all the time and they have assured us they are working on all of our issues,” said Jay Witter, senior vice president of...
Stakeholders prepare for bid-relief bill to drop
October 13, 2017Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON - Industry stakeholders have begun the task of shoring up support in anticipation of a bill that would provide some relief from the competitive bid program.Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., has released draft language of the legislation, which would extend a retroactive delay of a second round of reimbursement cuts in non-bid areas from Jan. 1, 2017, to Jan. 1, 2019. Per the legislation, reimbursement for that period would be based on reimbursement on Jan. 1, 2016.“McMorris Rodgers...
Legislative update: One letter down, one more to go
June 16, 2017Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WATERLOO, Iowa - Fresh on the heels of a successful letter in the House of Representatives seeking competitive bidding relief, industry stakeholders say they now have their sights on a Senate version.
“We hope to have Sens. John Thune, R-S.D., and Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D, come up with a letter in the next couple of weeks,” John Gallagher, vice president of government relations for The VGM Group, told attendees at the Heartland Conference last week. “(These letters) give HHS...
AAH's Ryan: 'We are so close'
May 26, 2017Liz Beaulieu, Editor
WASHINGTON - The timing of AAHomecare's Washington Legislative Conference couldn't have been better, Tom Ryan told attendees on Wednesday, the day before their Capitol Hill meetings.The day before, on Tuesday, a “Dear Colleague” letter began circulating on the Hill appealing to Tom Price, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, and Seema Verma, CMS administrator, to intervene and provide relief from Medicare's competitive bidding program.“There's no score or procedure...
Bid relief 'in the mix'
November 18, 2016Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON - Amid the chaos in Washington, D.C., industry stakeholders have been crisscrossing the Hill to ensure relief from Medicare's competitive bidding program doesn't get lost in the shuffle.Members of AAHomecare, The VGM Group and others made at least 16 visits in two days last week, and also have spoken with the office of House Speaker Paul Ryan.“The feedback from Speaker Ryan's staff is that it's in the mix, but they can't give us a specific vehicle or any clarity to the issue,”...