Tag: Legislation
NCPA celebrates PBM bill passing in Tennessee
May 26, 2026HME News Staff
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) applauds Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee for signing the Freedom, Access and Integrity in Registered Pharmacy (FAIR Rx) Act (Senate Bill 2040/House Bill 1959) into law, making the state the second to pass legislation prohibiting pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from owning or operating pharmacies. The NCPA supported the Tennessee Pharmacists Association’s leadership on the FAIR Rx Act as it moved through the legislative process....
Industry stakeholders seek changes to bid framework, enrollment moratorium
March 13, 2026Liz Beaulieu, Editor
WASHINGTON – Industry stakeholders hit Capitol Hill the week of March 9 for a series of high‑level meetings aimed at convincing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to remove the remote‑item delivery (RID) framework from the next round of competitive bidding. They argue the agency has the authority to do so under its existing sub‑regulatory powers.
Stakeholders say CMS is using RID – which would require nationwide fulfillment capabilities – to shrink the pool...
Senators introduce bill to delay bidding for CGMs, insulin pumps
March 12, 2026HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, have introduced a bill that would, among other things, delay Medicare competitive bidding for continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and insulin pumps for five years.
The Diabetes Interventions Addressing Barriers to Enrollment, Technology, and Education Services Act (DIABETES Act), S. 4037, would also expand Medicare coverage of diabetes self-management training sessions, where diabetes educators help train Medicare patients...
Congress looks to extend telehealth flexibilities into 2027
September 15, 2025HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – Bills to extend telehealth for Americans enrolled in Medicare through fiscal year 2027 have now been introduced in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Reps. Earl “Buddy” Carter, R- Ga., and Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., introduced the Telehealth Modernization Act of 2025, on Sept. 2. Sens. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, introduced the bill on Sept. 8. Telehealth flexibilities for Medicare beneficiaries is set to expire Sept. 30.
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Louisiana passes vent bill
June 13, 2024HME News Staff
BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has signed HB 839, legislation that curbs the substitution of step therapy or fail-first protocols for prescribed ventilators when clinical evidence demonstrates that these protocols will be less effective or cause an adverse reaction to the patient. The measure was strongly supported in the Louisiana legislature, with just a single vote against it on the House (97-1) and unanimous approval in the Senate (35-0), according to a bulletin from AAHomecare....
Uncertainty surrounds reimbursement relief
March 19, 2024HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – Industry stakeholders are on the hunt for another vehicle for their legislation to extend the 75/25 blended Medicare reimbursement rate in non-rural areas through 2024.
AAHomecare reports that its lobbyists and HME advocates on the Hill have indicated that reimbursement relief will not be included in a second segment of appropriations language that must pass Congress by March 22 to prevent another government shutdown.
“We will continue to look for other...
Oxygen reform bill introduced in Senate
March 1, 2024HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy, MD., R-La., Mark Warner, D-Va., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., have introduced legislation to ease access to supplemental oxygen for Medicare beneficiaries by, among other things, permanently extending blended payment rates.
The Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act of 2024 would establish a new payment methodology for non-liquid oxygen, allowing for most Medicare beneficiaries to be covered under the base payment levels.
“Patients...
Bill strengthens access to titanium wheelchairs
September 11, 2023HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – Rep. John Joyce, R-Pa., has introduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that would allow for code upgrades for titanium and carbon fiber wheelchairs under Medicare. “Stronger patient access to lightweight carbon fiber and titanium wheelchairs will allow more individuals with mobility challenges to function independently and take part in their communities,” said Tom Ryan, AAHomecare president and CEO. “Working to build support for this measure has...
Lawmakers seek to address fraud in O&P
June 27, 2023HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – A bi-partisan group in the House of Representatives has introduced a bill that would prohibit “drop shipping” of custom orthoses and protheses to Medicare beneficiaries.
H.R. 4315, the Medicare Orthotics and Prosthetics Patient-Centered Care Act, would also:
Ensure Medicare beneficiaries can access the full range of orthotic care from one O&P practitioner, rather than requiring them to visit multiple providers when the treating orthotist or...
Home infusion stakeholders now have bills in House, Senate
August 25, 2021HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – A bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives to improve access to home infusion therapy for Medicare beneficiaries.
Introduced by Reps. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., Fred Upton, R-Mich., and Vern Buchannan, R-Fla., H.R. 5067, the Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act provides technical clarifications that would remove the physical presence requirement, ensuring payment regardless of whether a health care professional is present in...