December in D.C. with John Gallagher

Published in Government Relations on December 03, 2021

Amongst the end of the year whirl in Washington D.C., John Gallagher was able to have many productive meetings during his visit to the nation’s capitol this week. Discussions during this visit included reimbursement concerns for DMEPOS items against many mounting issues like COVID mandates, supply chain issues, additional surcharges on HME products, and many more. 

John had a fantastic meeting with Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX) of the House Ways and Means. Rep. Arrington also serves on the Rural and Underserved Caucus and has an interest in HME issues. John met with both him and his health staff, Elle Ciapciak. 

Rep. Jodey Arrington

(Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX) and John Gallagher)

John also met with Rep. Mark Wayne Mullin (R-OK) who sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Thanks to OMEPA, Rep. Mullin already has been educated on the concerns in the HME industry and understands the need for improved reimbursement to continue to serve patients. Rep. Mullin has agreed to be a champion to the HME industry going forward! 

Rep. Mark Wayne Mullin and John Gallagher

(Rep. Mark Wayne Mullin and John Gallagher)

While in Washington D.C., John also continued his discussions on HME issues with Sen. Grassley, Sen. Ernst’s staff, and Rep. Ashley Hinson. 

Sen. Grassley and John

(Sen. Grassley with John Gallagher)

You may recognize the nice young man standing in between John Gallagher and Rep. Hinson in the photo below. That’s Jason Becker, VGM Government Team former intern. He is now interning for Rep. Hinson’s office in D.C.

Rep. Hinson, Jason Becker, John Gallagher

(Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) with Jason Becker and John Gallagher)

We will continue to follow up on these meetings and keep you updated. 


TAGS

  1. vgm government

From Our Experts

CMS Releases CPI-U Adjustments for DMEPOS In 2026 And Fee Schedule Q1 thumbnail CMS Releases CPI-U Adjustments for DMEPOS In 2026 And Fee Schedule Q1 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the annual inflation factor to be applied to DMEPOS items effective January 1, 2026, with an implementation date of January 5, 2026. The breakdown of the adjustment is dependent upon whether the serviced items are included in the competitive bidding program (CBP) or are in formerly competitive bid areas (CBAs) such as rural and non-rural. Update from the Board of Certification/Accreditation thumbnail Update from the Board of Certification/Accreditation Yesterday, the Board of Certification/Accreditation (BOC) issued a clarification regarding the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid's (CMS) recent announcement about withdrawing BOC Accreditation. Here are the key updates... CMS Withdraws BOC Accreditation Authority For DMEPOS Suppliers thumbnail CMS Withdraws BOC Accreditation Authority For DMEPOS Suppliers On December 2, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) officially revoked the Board of Certification/Accreditation International (BOC) as an approved accreditation organization for suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS). The DMEPOS Competitive Bid Program (CBP) And The New Remote Item Delivery Competitive Bidding Program – What Suppliers Need To Know thumbnail The DMEPOS Competitive Bid Program (CBP) And The New Remote Item Delivery Competitive Bidding Program – What Suppliers Need To Know A major development to come out of the CMS DMEPOS/Home Health Final Rule is the creation of a new Remote Item Delivery (RID) competitive bid program (CBP). This article provides the key items DMEPOS suppliers need to be aware of regarding this significant development in the competitive bidding program. CMS Changes Accreditation Requirements For All DMEPOS Suppliers Effective January 1, 2026. thumbnail CMS Changes Accreditation Requirements For All DMEPOS Suppliers Effective January 1, 2026. As we shared last week, CMS finalized the DMEPOS accreditation rule change that requires Accrediting Organizations (AOs) to survey and recredential DMEPOS suppliers annually, instead of every three years. This change is outside of competitive bidding and applies to all DMEPOS suppliers as a condition of Medicare enrollment. FAQs from the Webinar: Understanding the Final Rule on the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program thumbnail FAQs from the Webinar: Understanding the Final Rule on the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program Thank you to everyone who joined last week's webinar! We've compiled the most frequently asked questions from the session along with updated answers to help you stay informed. Major Update On Product Categories For The Next Round Of Competitive Bidding thumbnail Major Update On Product Categories For The Next Round Of Competitive Bidding Since the publication of the Final Rules on the Competitive Bidding Program (CBP) was announced, VGM has been in conversation with CMS officials as well as other industry groups regarding additional products being included into the CBP. The unofficial feedback we received indicated that there would be no additional products beyond those reported in the Final Rule. CMS Finalizes Rule Changing The Next Round Of The Competitive Bidding Program And Updating Other Provisions Related To Provider Enrollment And Prior Authorization thumbnail CMS Finalizes Rule Changing The Next Round Of The Competitive Bidding Program And Updating Other Provisions Related To Provider Enrollment And Prior Authorization Final Rule Analysis from the VGM Payer Relations and Reimbursement team  On Nov, 28, 2025, CMS finalized Final Rule CMS-1828-F that includes updates to the Competitive Bidding Program (CBP) and other provisions related to provider enrollment and prior authorization. Next round is expected to be implemented no later than Jan. 1, 2028.