WASHINGTON, D.C. – Democrats seized majorities in both chambers of Congress in last week’s midterm elections, but what will it mean for the DME industry when new lawmakers are sworn in on Jan. 3, 2027?
Rose Schafhauser, exec director of MAMES and SWMESA wonders; Will the focus on fraud get even tougher? Medtrade Monday asked key industry watchers to predict, ponder, and pontificate on possible scenarios.
“HME has always been a bipartisan issue, and thanks to AAHomecare’s engaged members, we have champions on both sides of the aisle. The Association will continue working with the Administration and looks forward to engaging a new Congress with the same goal: protecting patient access. We’ll continue to raise the alarm on industry consolidation expected from the Round 2028 Competitive Bidding Program, keep pressure on for passage of the SOAR Act, and fight to extend the 75/25 blended rate. Because we’ve built trust and relationships in both parties, we’re well positioned to keep the momentum.” — Tom Ryan, president and CEO, AAHomecare
“Election results were decisive, which will likely result in Democrat legislators wielding resolve in how they legislate. The president signaled a willingness to be more bi-partisan over the next two years, but I am not confident the newly elected members of Congress will be receptive to that given the lack of bi-partisanship over the previous two years.
“There is potential for a good outcome for the DME industry. During the past two years. the House and Senate have mostly been reactive to the current administration’s priorities—especially as it related to fraud, waste, abuse, competitive bidding, and reimbursement. Now that one party will not be controlling all three branches of government, I believe this swings more proactive legislation into the hands of Congress, which gives those members a chance to truly legislate on behalf of their constituents.” — David Siegel, CEO, Nationwide Medical, and vice chair of the AAHomecare Board of Directors
“Access to home respiratory care has never been a partisan issue. The SOAR Act, for example, has strong bipartisan support, and the patients who depend on home oxygen live in every district. What concerns me more than who holds the gavel is the calendar. The lame-duck session is the last chance for bills like SOAR and 75/25 relief to move in this Congress. Anything that doesn’t pass starts over in January, with competitive bidding returning in 2028. The new Congress will also bring new members and staff who may know little about DME. That makes education from clinicians and manufacturers more important than ever. Our job doesn’t change: show up, tell the patient story, and keep building relationships on both sides of the aisle.” — Chrysalis Ashton, MSRC, RRT, head of Respiratory Clinical Affairs and Industry Relations, Drive Medical
“Many democrats who won campaigned on better access to affordable healthcare, so I think we’ll see more money spent on Medicaid and other options for patients, which could be a good thing for suppliers. We may see more oversight on Managed Care Plans, which is a positive. One thing that will not change is the focus of the current administration on reducing fraud, waste, and abuse and increased oversight.” — Wayne van Halem, chief advisor & founder, The van Halem Group
“It’s difficult to say definitively how election results will affect H.R. 10787. One race worth watching is Greg Murphy (R-N.C.), which remains too close to call. [Murphy has an extremely narrow lead as of Nov. 6 and a recount is likely whoever is declared the winner.] Murphy is the bill’s primary sponsor and a physician, and his medical background adds credibility to the patient-care concerns behind the legislation. Ideally, we’d like to see him retain his seat, particularly if the bill needs to be reintroduced next year. The other three cosponsors won their races, which is encouraging. More broadly, my impression is that democratic control could create a more receptive environment for arguments focused on protecting access to care, even if doing so means giving up some projected Medicare savings. However, this bill already has bipartisan support, and its chances will depend on whether congressional leadership makes it a priority. Overall, I’m cautiously optimistic that the results could help, but I wouldn’t view them as a guarantee of passage—or necessarily an improvement in its chances of passing before the end of this year.” — Stephen Sear, manager at Mark Drug Medical Supply, Wheeling, Ill.
“Based on the caustic political environment today, the democratic controlled congress without a veto-proof majority will mean nothing extremely partisan will get passed in the final two years of the Trump term. Hopefully this will require Congress to start working together on legislation in a meaningful bi-partisan way. We can hope. Pointing the finger at either party for everything that is happening will not solve problems we are facing with the healthcare system, the economy, national security, or geo-politics. We must work together much better than we have in the last 20+ years. Hopefully this mid-term cycle was a wake-up call, that no political party has all the right answers. If not, we will be doing this all over again in two years. The money spent on the midterm elections could have been put to much better use solving real problems facing Americans today—healthcare, taxes, hunger, infrastructure, etc.” — Bruce Gehring, senior vice president, Business Development, Allegiance Group
“DME bills have support from both parties, and that should carry over to some degree. Anything that doesn’t pass before the new Congress starts has to begin again, so the next few weeks matter for DME bills still in progress.” — Tim Freidel, CPIM, CEO & founder, DME Flow
