AAHomecare Meets With Oz
WASHINGTON, D.C. – AAHomecare has stepped up efforts to engage the White House and other federal policymakers through face-to-face meetings on top priorities. This effort continued with a recent meeting with CMS Administrator Dr. Oz and Deputy Administrator Kim Brandt.
The AAHomecare delegation included: Tom Ryan, president; Jay Witter, senior vice president of Public Policy; Cara Bachenheimer, AAHomecare’s general counsel; Josh Marx, chairman of the Board; and Executive Committee member David Siegel.
Together, the group discussed opportunities to strengthen the Competitive Bidding Program by introducing adjustments to promote true competitiveness and a more balanced marketplace. They also emphasized the need for clear guidance around the existing moratorium so that responsible suppliers can continue to grow, expand, and meet rising patient needs without uncertainty.
Officials have signaled concern for Medicare fraud, waste and abuse and expressed interest in leveraging the Competitive Bidding Program as a fraud fighting tool. AAHomecare leaders underscored the industry’s commitment to program integrity, offering to collaborate with CMS on enhanced tools and strategies to identify and deter fraudulent activity.
Throughout the meeting, the conversation focused on the real world impact current policies have on patients and the providers who serve them. AAHomecare shared data, practical implications, and stories from the industry contributing to a positive meeting with the Administration.
Change in DMEPOS Appeals and Rebuttals Processing Effective May 8, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. – CMS has announced that, effective May 8, 2026, Chags Health Information Technology LLC (C-HIT) will no longer handle DMEPOS appeals and rebuttals. Responsibility for processing these submissions will transition to the National Provider Enrollment (NPE) DMEPOS contractors.
What this means for suppliers:
- Beginning May 8, all appeals and rebuttals must be submitted to your respective NPE.
- Submissions made prior to May 8 will continue to be processed by C-HIT.
- This change will not impact the appeals and rebuttals process itself, including requirements, timelines, and documentation, remains unchanged.
Suppliers will need to update their submission processes and ensure appeals and rebuttals are directed to the correct contractor. You can find the announcement here.
DMEPOS Supplier Location Numbers Trending Down
WASHINGTON, D.C. – AHomecare has updated the supplier location tracking sheet with CMS data from January 2026. The updated dataset shows there are approximately 8,078 traditional DMEPOS supplier locations nationwide. Since the widespread implementation of DMEPOS Competitive Bidding in 2013, AAHomecare officials have observed an overall decline of about 37.4% in the total number of supplier locations. For detailed, state-specific results, and to view the nationwide supplier location heat map, see the link here.
