NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR – It’s no small chore to undo onerous state legislation, but Shawn McCoy, founder of Arkansas-based Eclipse Medical, banded with like-minded providers (plus VGM and AAHomecare) to get it done. The unified efforts also sparked a new state association called the Arkansas Medical Equipment Providers (AMEP) where McCoy serves as president and Board Member.
It’s tough enough running a single-location HME provider that serves the entire state of Arkansas. Why get involved and pile on responsibilities? Medtrade Monday sat down with McCoy to learn more about the legislation that motivated a movement.
Medtrade Monday: What legislation sparked your advocacy?
McCoy: The genesis was new legislation introduced in 2023. The state government was attempting to move access to the Arkansas Medicaid population for CGMs [continuous glucose monitors] and drive that all through pharmacies.
For three years prior it was the DMEs that were the providers of CGMs to the Arkansas Medicaid population, and that was how that population accessed the product. It was not available through pharmacies. The New legislation was introduced and ultimately passed—and access was switched from the DME channel and sent through the pharmacy channel.
Medtrade Monday: What was the rationale behind the legislation?
McCoy: The original legislation was intended to actually broaden access. When we looked at the original language, it was fairly benign. There was no indication that that we were in jeopardy of no longer being able to service the population. We just assumed they were going to expand access into the pharmacies so that Medicaid population would have options, which we as DME owners fully support. We never had an issue with that.
Medtrade Monday: Why did the intent change?
McCoy: Once the bill was passed, it went before a rules committee and the rules were changed such that it forced us out—driving patients through the pharmacy channel and away from DMEs.
Medtrade Monday: How did you respond?
McCoy: We delayed implementation for about nine months with the goal to work with the DHS [Department of Human Services] here and with the Arkansas Medicaid program. We were trying to educate them about the services that DMEs provide, and the value that DMEs bring to the industry. We formed AMEP with the dual purpose to provide a voice and help protect the DME industry here in the state of Arkansas, and to protect the patients we serve.
Medtrade Monday: How was the message received?
McCoy: We have not begun as a DME yet to distribute back to that Medicaid population in the CGM category space, but we anticipate that will happen probably in late summer. We still must go back through the rules committee. We wrote new legislation—House bill 1255—which became enacted as Act 857. The intent was to amend the original language to follow the original intent, which was to expand and broaden access. It would allow us to be reimbursed and have our claims processed and adjudicated the way we have done historically, and not through the pharmacy retail channel like we do with all of our other supplies.
Medtrade Monday: Why form AMEP?
McCoy: We want a seat at the table. We want to make sure that when legislators are considering new legislation that they’re getting both sides. You need a good lobbying team on your side, somebody who already has a network. We’ve got national representation on the board from the VGM Group and AAHomecare, and they are key partners in this process.
Left to right: David Chandler, AAHomecare; Rep. Aaron Pilkington, Dist. 45; Shawn McCoy, Eclipse Medical; and Todd Ross, Finnegan.
