Act Now For Reimbursement Relief and Tell Us About Your Priorities For 2023

Published in Government Relations on November 22, 2022

Leg Update

The time between November and the new year is called the “lame-duck session” due to some legislators finishing up their term after losing in the recent elections. That doesn’t mean that the process of legislating stops, as two fiscal issues are likely to be a major focus during the last weeks of the 117th Congress: getting an omnibus spending bill done, and deciding whether or not to deal with the debt limit. Typically, during the lame-duck session, legislators are free to make decisions that exercise the standard powers with little fear of consequence. Simply put, they are more apt to sign on to bills.

As we enter the final weeks of the 117th Congress and 2022, the VGM Government Relations team will be working to push Congress to include reimbursement relief into any end-of-the-year packages. 

What can you do to help pass reimbursement relief for DMEPOS?

We strongly encourage you (and your co-workers, friends, and family) to reach out to your members of Congress before Thanksgiving and ask them to support a 90/10 blended rate in CBAs, and to extend the 75/25 rate relief for non-CBA suppliers granted in the CARES Act. You can quickly and easily send a message by visiting our website where a prepared message is housed. We’ve created the message so that you can edit it to include your own, personalized story of how this impacts you, your business, and your customers. Click here to enter your zip code and send a message to your Senator and member of Congress. 

Survey: What are your priorities for 2023?

As reported last week, VGM held its annual State Leaders’ Summit at the VGM headquarters in Waterloo, IA. There, the group of state associations leaders were able to network and share ideas with other associations. They also discussed industry concerns within their local membership. The group of state association leaders came up with a solid list of priorities for 2023, including:

  • Improved reimbursement
  • Audit relief
  • MCO/Medicaid accountability
  • Medicare Advantage Plans
  • CRT issues, coverage, right to repair
  • Merging Medicare A & B
  • Marketing efforts to showcase the HME story
  • Sequestration

We want to hear from you! We want to know what are VGM members' priorities are for 2023. The VGM Government Relations team will review the survey responses and frame our planning for 2023 around the feedback received. 

Click here to take the survey

This survey will be open for one week, closing next Tuesday, Nov. 29! Please take a minute to fill out this short survey, letting us know what your primary concerns are in 2023.


TAGS

  1. billing & reimbursement
  2. cms
  3. dmepos
  4. hme
  5. state association
  6. vgm
  7. vgm government

From Our Experts

Proposed Rule Suggests Significant Change To Accreditation Process thumbnail Proposed Rule Suggests Significant Change To Accreditation Process The recently released proposed rule CMS-1828-P contains a significant change that could reshape how suppliers navigate accreditation. The rule proposes a major change that would require suppliers to be surveyed and reaccredited annually instead of the current three (3) year cadence. This proposal raises substantial questions about both operational feasibility and cost implications. August Of Action: Your Chance To Connect With Congress thumbnail August Of Action: Your Chance To Connect With Congress It's time to take advantage of August Of Action—a perfect opportunity to make your voice heard. Every summer, federal legislators return to their home states during the Congressional recess. While it gives them a break from Washington D.C., it's primarily a time for them to connect with constituents like you. HR1 Passes House, Advances to President Trump's Desk for Signature thumbnail HR1 Passes House, Advances to President Trump's Desk for Signature After extensive negotiations and partisan debate, the House has officially passed HR1, clearing the path for the bill to be signed into law by President Donald Trump. The legislation, which aims to reduce federal healthcare expenditures, contains several provisions that may impact the durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) industry. CMS files the Proposed Rule that sheds light on the next round of the Competitive Bidding Program thumbnail CMS files the Proposed Rule that sheds light on the next round of the Competitive Bidding Program On June 30, 2025, CMS filed the anticipated Proposed Rule that includes updates to the Competitive Bidding Program (CBP). Public comments are due 60 days from June 30, 2025. Below is a high-level summary of the rule. It is critical to note that, according to the Proposed Rule Fact Sheet dated June 30, 2025, CMS has stated that they have not announced the specific product categories they are bidding or the specific timeframe for the next competition. Those specifics will be forthcoming in a fu Senate Narrowly Passes HR1, Sending It Back to House for Final Approval thumbnail Senate Narrowly Passes HR1, Sending It Back to House for Final Approval President Donald Trump's sweeping legislative package, formally titled the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, now referred to as HR1., cleared the Senate today in a dramatic 51–50 vote, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. The bill now returns to the House, where lawmakers must decide whether to adopt the Senate's revised version or negotiate further changes before it can reach the president's desk. Several Prominent Medicaid Provisions in Senate's Budget Bill Deemed in Violation of Byrd Rule thumbnail Several Prominent Medicaid Provisions in Senate's Budget Bill Deemed in Violation of Byrd Rule Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough advised this week that multiple Medicaid provisions in the Senate's reconciliation bill would violate Senate procedure by violating the Byrd Rule. The Byrd Rule is a Senate-specific procedural process that allows Senators to prevent or block inclusion of extraneous provisions in reconciliation bills. Other provisions are still under review. Evaluating the Value of a Payer Contract thumbnail Evaluating the Value of a Payer Contract In our last article, Key Payers Denied Your Application Citing Their Network Is Closed – Now What?, we discussed strategies for addressing payer contracting denials due to a closed network. As indicated, this process can be an extremely time-consuming exercise with no guarantees and mixed results. Below are a few things to consider as you evaluate whether a contract is worth the extra effort. Webinar: Webinar: "Navigating The New CMS Landscape: RADs, HMVs, and Supplier Survival" on June 25 at 1 p.m. CT. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released its final National Coverage Determination (NCD) for RADs and HMVs used in treating chronic respiratory failure due to COPD. While the rule potentially expands access to bilevel ST therapy (RADs), it also introduces complex compliance requirements, tighter usage criteria, and increased documentation burdens—without additional reimbursement.