WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the comment period for the DMEPOS/Home Health Proposed Rule now completed, AAHomecare and HME stakeholders have pivoted to the second phase of efforts to address CMS’ plans to restart the competitive bidding program (CBP).
This effort is ramping up quickly. On Monday, AAHomecare Chairman Josh Marx joined Tom Ryan (pictured) and Jay Witter in DC for a meeting with HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill to discuss industry concerns with provisions from the Proposed Rule. At the Deputy Secretary’s suggestion, AAHomecare secured a follow-up meeting with other CMS staff next week. (Ryan & Marx are pictured right before the HHS meeting).
Those meetings are part of an intense campaign over the next several months aimed at preventing several problematic proposals for restarting the bidding program from taking effect. The Association has budgeted more than $3 million for this campaign, to be drawn from Association reserves and new fundraising efforts from the DME industry. Already, partners at VGM and 21 other leading AAH members have pledged more than $750,000 to the effort; and will be expanding the solicitation through membership ranks in the coming weeks.
AAHomecare has engaged additional lobbying with strong connections to the Administration that can reach top-level decision makers on this issue. The campaign will be focused on delivering a powerful message to the most influential voices in the White House, CMS, the Office of Management & Budget (OMB), and other important parties in this process.
AAHomecare will also be fostering strategic engagement with Capitol Hill allies to bolster influence with the Administration, as well as polling, media relations, and grassroots mobilization to further support this work as applicable. This effort will also call on the passion, expertise, and connections throughout the AAHomecare membership, HME stakeholders, and partners with patient advocacy and clinician groups.
If the bidding program starts up again using the flawed framework and expanded product mix from the Proposed Rule, the impact on the HME industry could be felt for a decade or more. AAHomecare officials look forward to working with stakeholders to make sure the Administration fully understands the stakes for the industry and the potential impacts throughout the healthcare infrastructure.
See resources and information about the second phase of the CBP Campaign at aahomecare.org/CBP-Advocacy.
