H.R. 2771 and H.R. 4945.
The two bills respectively provide rural and non-bid area relief and remove non-invasive ventilators from competitive bidding. However, the bills have been hovering. Since last week, H.R. 2771 has been stuck at 72 co-sponsors. Similarly, H.R. 4945 only gained one co-sponsor in the last week, bringing its total to 43 backers in the House.
Everyone in the industry needs to take the time to support these two bills. Fortunately, there are two Congressional recesses that will let you request a meeting when Representatives are back in their home districts Feb. 18-21 and March 16-20.
Here’s some info about both bills to help you advocate on their behalf:
Supporting H.R. 2771
Named the Protecting Home Oxygen & Medical Equipment Act of 2019, H.R. 2771 does three specific things:
- Permanently implement the blended, 50/50 rural relief rate after 2020.
- Provides additional relief for non-rural, non-bid areas with a 75/25 blended rate (75 percent competitive bidding rates and 25 percent unadjusted fee schedule rates).
- Removes the budget neutrality offset for oxygen that was implemented in 2017.
- To help the providers gain more co-sponsors, The American Association for Homecare provided a list of lawmakers who co-sponsored rural relief legislation in the 115th Congress.
Supporting H.R. 4945
Known as the Safeguarding Medicare Access to Respiratory Therapy (SMART) Act of 2019, H.R. 4945 would keep non-invasive ventilators out of the competitive bidding program.
After a call for public comments drew hundreds of responses from respiratory providers, patient groups, clinicians and caregivers urging CMS not to do so, the agency added non-invasive ventilators to the list of products covered by Round 2021 of competitive bidding.
AAHomecare provided a list of Representatives who joined a sign-on letter asking CMS to reconsider adding the ventilators to competitive bidding to help identify prime co-sponsorship opportunities.
Go to AAHomecare’s Take Action Center to get resources on the issues as well as some solid, how-to information on lobbying members of Congress.
Yes, sending emails, calling, and meeting with members of Congress can seem like a time-consuming pain in the neck, but that’s what CMS is betting on. However, taking the time could gain your business some friends on Capitol Hill, and by sticking it out in this war of attrition, it will pay massive dividends.
Which reminds me — I have to give my insurance agent a call.