WASHINGTON, DC – With the addition of the $65 million increase annually that the oxygen budget neutrality win will begin to deliver starting April 1, policy outcomes related to advocacy work at both the Federal and state level are directly responsible for more than $2 billion in policy wins for suppliers for 2020 and 2021. Here is the full list of quantifiable achievements that are going toward HME suppliers’ bottom lines:

• $1.4 billion = provider relief funds for HME suppliers (out of a total of $90 billion for healthcare community)
• $251 million = 75/25 relief rates for non-rural areas in COVID-19 relief legislation (1 year)
• $193.2 million = 11 mo. relief of 2% Medicare Sequester Cut (May 2020-March 2021)
• $100 million = Prevent cuts and carve out CRT power accessories ($500 mil over 10 years)
• $70 million = payer relations efforts to protect reimbursement rates
• $65 million = O2 double dip ($650 relief over 10 years)
• $15 million = prevented CURES paybacks
• $2 million = NC sales tax law
• In addition, by extending the 50/50 blended rare through the CARES Act, rural suppliers will continue to receive millions more in reimbursements than they otherwise would have.

Support and participation in AAHomecare and grassroots engagement with policymakers is fueling this success.

Sequester Cut Moratorium and PAYGO Waiver Legislative Packages Continue to Evolve

WASHINGTON, DC – AAHomecare and other healthcare groups continue work to extend the moratorium on the 2% Medicare sequester cuts currently set to expire on March 31 and also prevent deeper across-the-board cuts caused by the application of 2010 Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) legislation to offset potential deficit increases incurred via the recent $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package.

The House passed HR 1868 to continue the pause of the 2% Medicare sequester cuts through the duration of the public health emergency and waive the PAYGO cuts for fiscal year 2022.   In addition, Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) have also introduced S. 748 to continue the pause of the Medicare sequester cuts.

AAHomecare updated the Action Center alert to reflect the new legislative packages. Reach out to healthcare staffers in Senate offices to ask for co-sponsorship and support for S. 748, the Medicare Sequester Relief Act, to prevent the sequester cuts from happening on April 1 and to support Senate consideration of HR 1868 or another measure to prevent to PAYGO cuts. Contact Gordon Barnes at [email protected] for contact information for Congressional healthcare staffers.