The American Association for Homecare was able to delay unforeseen cuts to the Medicaid program that would impact patient access to home medical equipment that are part of the 21st Century Cures legislation.

The 21st Century Cures bill, legislation aimed at fostering healthcare innovation, came at a $13 billion cost. As the House Energy and Commerce Committee met the week prior to last week’s Washington Conference provisions to help pay for the legislation, AAHomecare was advised that one of the pay-fors would affect Medicaid patients’ access to HME.

Specifically, the provision being considered would limit the federal portion of state Medicaid fee-for-service rates for HME to the Medicare bid program rate, an idea that has been proposed in the President’s budget for the last six years.

A statement from AAHomecare said that upon learning the news, it immediately began meeting with Energy and Commerce Committee leaders to convey the cut’s business and patient care impact, and to drive support for the removal of this provision from the bill.

While the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously passed the 21st Century Cures legislation on May 22, AAHomecare successful secured a delay of the cuts from the state of 2016 to 2020, thus reducing the score to $2.8 million.

As part of the negotiations, AAHomecare was asked for a budget neutral proposal that would help improve the HME benefit. The association suggested that a nationwide prior authorization process would help address audit problems, and is working to have prior authorization language added to the Cures Bill before it reaches the House floor. (Readers should be aware that Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) has introduced H.R. 2437, new legislation that would see a prior authorization program established for certain high-cost DME and supplies.)

AAHomecare said it will continue to defend against the inclusion of these cuts to Medicaid HME rates in any future iterations of this bill.

As for the legislative prospects for the 21st Century Cures bill, Energy and Commerce Chair Fred Upton (R-MI) expressed doubts about the bill making it through the Senate in its entirety.

“The Senate’s never going to pass a bill this big, we know that,” Upton told AAHomecare, which report that Upton said he is looking for the Senate to pass “an innovative medicine piece” or something a little bit broader.

Before the Cures Bill moves forward, it will need to be discussed in the Appropriations, Budget and Rules committees prior to an expected House floor vote in late June.