take the survey here.

“Taking this survey is very important,” a statement from VGM read. “CMS will be reviewing comments next month relative to 2021 (and beyond) reimbursements, and a large array of newly elected officials will be taking their seats shortly.”

VGM conducted its first Delivery Cost Survey in 2018 to assist industry advocacy efforts by providing useful data on providers’ cost burdens to provision products and services to patients in rural areas. The data included wages, travel distances, setup time, and the total cost for each visit.

That effort helped secure some reimbursement relief via a 50/50 blend in rural areas, and helped show CMS the impact insufficient payment would have on patient access. This time around, the new effort aims to show how the PHE has impacted HME providers’ cost structures.

“We have included some examples and added a ‘pandemic’ section to indicate additional costs and burdens as compared to, for example, 2019 operations,” VGM advised. “We ask that you fill out both ‘before’ and ‘now’ in a relatively simple, five-step process. Estimates are acceptable; time is of the essence.”

VGM will take the data, perform calculations, and send survey-takers an email indicating their estimated total delivery costs pre-pandemic and currently so that they can review their costs compared to anonymized results for the rest of the HME provider community. The group underscored that respondents’ company information will never be identified or saved; only their service area.