03/05/2024

DME 75/25 Relief Not Included in Latest Health Care Legislation Agreement

Continued Grassroots Advocacy Support Needed

AAHomecare Alert 3/04/24

Continued Grassroots Advocacy Support Needed as We Work with Our Champions to Advance Relief Provisions

On Sunday, Congressional leaders announced an agreement for a narrow healthcare package as part of appropriations legislation. The package does not include provisions to extend 75/25 Medicare blended rates for DME in non-rural areas. These measures are part of appropriations language set for consideration by March 8.

While this latest development is certainly disappointing, our lobbying team remains fully engaged in working with our champions to identify other options to advance 75/25 provisions in other legislative vehicles, including another government funding package that must pass before March 22.

Your grassroots advocacy plays a critical role in underpinning these efforts. Please continue to ask your legislators to extend the 75/25 Medicare blended rates for DME in non-rural areas through 2024.  You can find updated messaging and guidance for making the case for the 75/25 extension here. 

Our team is buoyed by the strong outreach to Capitol Hill from the DME community over the last few weeks that followed on your extensive advocacy throughout 2023. We are not backing down on our efforts to extend this relief as soon as possible and also remain committed to engaging policymakers on the need for reimbursement rates that reflect market reality across the full spectrum of payers.  Thank you for your determined advocacy.  We will keep you posted on continuing developments on this important relief.

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** Special Message from OAMES:

• All hands-on deck! We need ALL members -- providers and vendor partners -- doing business in Ohio to join in these urgent grassroots efforts! 
• Contact information - Please contact Sen. Sherrod Brown and Sen. JD Vance and your Representative in the US House.  You’ll find the contact information for all Ohio Congressional healthcare staff on Capitol Hill here. 
• Your message - The link above from AAHomecare with messaging information is concise and lays out the key points in your “ask”.  Weekly contacts over the next three weeks leading up to the next deadline on March 22 would be helpful.
• OAMES' tip - If you email instead of making a phone call, please copy Kam Yuricich at OAMES kam@oames.org and she’ll respond in support of your “ask” on behalf of all HME providers throughout the Congressional district and state.
• Questions/need help? Contact Kam at kam@oames.org.