The House has passed the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package, which includes HME provisions such as an extension of the 75/25 blended Medicare rate for non-CBA, non-rural suppliers until at least Dec. 31, 2023, and a block on the 4 percent Medicare “PAYGO” cuts for 2023 and 2024.
The House vote was largely along partisan lines, passing with a vote of 225 to 201. The Senate passed the bill yesterday in a 68 to 29 vote. The passed legislation is now on its way to President Biden, who is expected to sign it into law so that the government will remain funded until Sept. 30, the end of its fiscal year.
The spending package’s HME provisions:
- Extends the CARES Act’s 75/25 blended rates for non-CBA, non-rural suppliers through the remainder of the public health emergency or until Dec. 31, 2023, whichever is later.
- Prevents the application of across-the-board 4 percent Medicare cuts for 2023 and 2024 that would have otherwise resulted from the 2010 “PAYGO” budget legislation.
- Grants a two-year extension for telehealth waivers established during the COVID-19 PHE.
- Includes language from wound care legislation (H.R. 2356 and S.2363) that revises reimbursement for disposable negative pressure wound therapy devices.
- Includes language from lymphedema treatment legislation (H.R. 3630 and S.1315) that provides coverage for compression items used in the treatment of lymphedema.
The legislation does not include one objective the industry was hoping to secure: language from H.R. 6641, which would have applied a 90/10 blended rate in former CBAs.
On Tuesday, Tom Ryan, the president and CEO of the American Association for Homecare, praised the grassroots outreach and lobbying work done by providers and industry advocates when it was clear the bill’s language addressed nearly all of the industry’s requests.
“I’m incredibly proud of the persistent grassroots advocacy that has secured these impactful, bottom-line wins for HME,” Ryan said earlier this week. “We also appreciate the leadership of Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), and Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) for their work pushing the CARES Act relief forward during negotiations on the Omnibus bill. Their support was absolutely critical in making sure the 75/25 blended rate provisions were included in the final draft.”
