WASHINGTON, D.C. – AAHomecare’s senior vice president of Payer Relations, Laura Williard, was in Tallahassee last week in response to Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration’s (AHCA) decision to impose a six-month moratorium on new enrollments in the state’s Medicaid program.
Florida’s March 20 announcement follows CMS’ action to pause enrollments for new DMEPOS supplier companies and locations in the Medicare program. Rhode Island has announced a similar moratorium, and we understand that other states are considering similar actions.
Williard had productive meetings with the Governor’s office, ACHA, and Florida legislators, echoing points from our April 8 letter to AHCA that included our recommendations for fighting fraud and abuse.
Williard also reiterated the industry’s request to clarify that the agency’s DMEPOS supplier enrollment moratorium does not apply to established DMEPOS suppliers that have been in existence at least three years or to develop a waiver to allow current suppliers to add locations. [pictured: Williard with Jason Weida, chief of staff for Gov. Ron DeSantis].
Williard also shared AAHomecare’s recent comments on CMS’ anti-fraud CRUSH initiative in our meetings, as well as a detailed analysis of DMEPOS supplier numbers in Florida supplying a range of DME products, countering recent claims that the market is oversaturated with suppliers.
AAHomecare’s Payer Relations team will be proactively engaging with state Medicaid programs to promote targeted approaches to fraud, waste, and abuse that protect program integrity while preserving patient access and minimizing unnecessary burdens on legitimate suppliers. A meeting with Ohio officials is scheduled for later this week and we are reaching out to officials in other states to see where meetings are needed.
In discussions with Federal and state policymakers, AAHomecare continues to stress that the DME sector is committed to collaborating on solutions that keep criminals from accessing the Medicare program while maintaining strong patient access to care.
