95 Lawmakers Sign DME Rule Letter
The Congressional sign-on letter calls for CMS and HHS leadership to finally release the pending DME rule, which broadly impacts reimbursement.
Ninety-five lawmakers from the House of Representatives have signed a Congressional letter urging the leadership of CMS and HHS to finalize the DME rule.
The letter also calls on the agencies to extend the 50/50 blended rates in rural areas and address outdated Medicare rates for most products in former competitive bidding areas, which haven’t kept pace with providers’ increased costs due to Covid-19.
Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) introduced the letter just before the American Association for Homecare hosted its first-ever virtual Washington Conference lobbying event. The Sept. 29 helped drive support for the letter by attracting 140 HME advocates who met with more than 220 Congressional offices.
The resulting 95 signatories that effort garnered included 40 lawmakers from the two committees of jurisdiction for Medicare policy, the Energy & Commerce and Ways & Means committees.
“The great showing on this letter is a result of the strong impression that participants in our first-ever virtual Washington Legislative Conference made on Capitol Hill, coupled with sustained grassroots advocacy efforts from HME stakeholders,” said Tom Ryan, president and CEO of AAHomecare. “It’s also a real testament to the influence that Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Paul Tonko have with their peers on the Hill. AAHomecare and the HME community are thankful for their continued leadership on protecting patient access to high-quality, home-based care.”
AAHomecare has uploaded the finalized letter, as well as a complete list of signers, sorted by state.