WASHINGTON, DC – The past month has been a full court press by the HME industry to get face-to-face meetings with members of Congress and their staffers while they were at home during the August recess.
If you had the chance to meet with your members while they were in the home office, now is the time to follow up and continue making your case in the fight against CMS’ planned 2016 rate cuts for non-bid areas.
AAHomecare is asking providers to spread the word via social media using PowerofHomecare.com. The organization has generated more than 3,500 letters to Congress, and more pressure through the recess is needed.
AAHomecare thanks the HME providers and state associations for their hard work meeting with their reps while they were home for recess.
• The Alabama Medical Equipment Association (ADMEA), with Don Jones of Southern Medical Equipment and Mike Hamilton, president of ADMEA, had meetings with all of their members of Congress during the August recess.
• Home Medical Equipment and Services Association of New England members have met in-person or had calls with more than 16 representatives and senators from across New England! Learn more about their efforts to meet with all 21 representatives and 12 senators in New England by the end of October.
• Georgia Association of Medical Equipment Suppliers members had the opportunity to meet with Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.).
• Congressman Reid Ribble (R-Wis.) visited Wisconsin Association of Medical Equipment Services member Bayside Home Medical in Sturgeon Bay, Wisonsin.
• Midwest Association for Medical Equipment Services Missouri members Healthcare Equipment & Supply Co. and Alliance Rehab and Medical Equipment met with Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.).
• Thad Connally, of First Choice Home Medical and president of the Kentucky Medical Equipment Suppliers Association, met with Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.).
• Advanced Home Care in North Carolina met with Congressman Mark Walker (R-N.C.)
• North Carolina Association for Medical Equipment Services met with Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) at Family Medical Supply in Dunn, North Carolina.
• Affordable Medical in Paragould hosted Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.).
• Valley Home Care in Winchester hosted Congresswoman Barbara Comstock (R-Va.).
Working together on HME legislative priorities – through back home meetings, letters to Capitol Hill, and face to face meetings in DC – is ultimately be what makes the difference in educating policymakers and getting bills passed into law.
AAHomecare Requests CPT Code Info be Made Public for New NPWT Codes
WASHINGTON, DC – AAHomecare has submitted comments in response to Medicare Programs: Revisions to Payment Policies under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2016 (CMS-1631-P).
These comments address concerns with the lack of transparency in pricing for new CPT codes 97607 and 97608 that replaced Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes G0456 and G0457. Physicians use these codes to bill Medicare for therapy rendered using single use, disposable negative pressure wound therapy devices (NPWT). AAHomecare requested that payment rate information for these new CPT codes be made publicly available as it was for their predecessor HCPCS codes, ideally on the MAC websites.
