10/05/2021

Congressional Sign-on Letter for DME Rule and Medicare Relief Extended Until COB Thursday

Last week was a busy week for HME advocates and there’s more work to be done in a very short period of time on a Congressional sign-on letter to leaders at CMS and HHS. The letter is spearheaded by our champions on Capitol Hill, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY), and requests that the agencies:

• Finalize the DME rule and extend the 50/50 blended rates in rural and non-contiguous parts of the country.
• Engage with patient and supplier stakeholders to consider taking further action to adjust Medicare payment rates for DME items removed from CB Round 2021 to account for the increased costs and current market realities facing DME manufacturers and suppliers.

The deadline to sign on to the letter has been extended until close of business on Thursday, 10/07/21. We currently have three signed on from Ohio:  Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, Rep. Brad Wenstrup and Rep. Marcy Kaptur.  

Action Needed!

• Please send a message to your House Representative ASAP asking that they add their name to the sign-on letter, and encourage your colleagues, peers, and friends to do the same.
• Use AAHomecare’s Action Center to send a message to House members asking them to join the letter here. Feel free to add your own perspectives to the sample email.
• If possible, follow up your email with a call to your House Representative – you can ask to speak to an individual who handles healthcare to ask that they join the House sign-on letter on releasing the DME rule and addressing Medicare reimbursement rates for DME.
• If you need any assistance with the "ask" or messaging, contact Kam Yuricich at OAMES.
• Email Gordon Barnes at gordonb@aahomecare.org if you would like contact information for the staffer handling healthcare for your Representative in the House. No Senate outreach is needed at this time.