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Impact on DMEPOS Providers: The Biden Administration Announces New Actions to Lessen the Burden of Medical Debt and Increase Consumer Protection

Published in Government Relations on April 19, 2022

The White House is seeking to help lessen Americans' medical debt burden, Vice President Kamala Harris announced Monday, April 11, 2022. In its latest effort to help people deal with increased costs amid skyrocketing inflation, and with emphasis on collection practices by providers and third-party collection agencies, the White House laid out a four-point plan to help protect consumers. Officials from several federal agencies spoke of the problems of medical debt, which plagues about one-third of American adults and is the largest source of debt in collections. Being behind in bills also prompts some people to avoid seeking additional health care and can affect consumers' ability to buy homes or start small businesses. VGM has been contacted by several DMEPOS suppliers with several questions and concerns relative to their ability to waive patient co-payments in conjunction with the White House efforts to ease medical debt. VGM’s vice president of regulatory affairs Mark Higley and vice president of payer relations Craig Douglas presents a summary of the new actions, the potential affect – along with certain perils – to DMEPOS companies concerning the topics covered in this newly released memo, and offers a comprehensive procedural outline to mitigate potential risks with federal, state and private payers. Read More Here!

From Our Experts

VGM Group Submits Comments on CMS-6098-NC Request for Information (RFI) Related to Comprehensive Regulations to Uncover Suspicious Healthcare (CRUSH). thumbnail

VGM Group Submits Comments on CMS-6098-NC Request for Information (RFI) Related to Comprehensive Regulations to Uncover Suspicious Healthcare (CRUSH). The comments reflect VGM Group's support of CMS' goal of strengthening program integrity and shares CMS' commitment to protecting Medicare beneficiaries and taxpayer dollars from fraud, waste, and abuse. DME suppliers already operate in a highly regulated environment and have a direct interest in ensuring that anti-fraud initiatives are precisely targeted, data driven, and operationally feasible, so that legitimate suppliers can continue to serve beneficiaries without unnecessary disruption.

Call To Action - Access to Power Seat Elevation on Standard PWCs Threatened thumbnail

Call To Action - Access to Power Seat Elevation on Standard PWCs Threatened As reported by NCART: Do you use, recommend or provide power seat elevation for individuals with any of the diagnoses below? If so, and you answer YES to any of the questions below, it is important for Medicare to hear your story in writing by midnight on Saturday, April 4 at PMDRecon@noridian.com.

Florida Becomes First State To Follow Medicare; Issues A Six-month Moratorium On DMEPOS Suppliers Enrolling In Medicaid thumbnail

Florida Becomes First State To Follow Medicare; Issues A Six-month Moratorium On DMEPOS Suppliers Enrolling In Medicaid As reported by The van Halem Group: On Thursday, March 26, 2026, the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) issued a temporary moratorium on enrollment of new Medicaid providers for Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS).

CMS Rule Phases Out Fax Machines, Snail Mail to Save Taxpayers $781.98 Million a Year thumbnail

CMS Rule Phases Out Fax Machines, Snail Mail to Save Taxpayers $781.98 Million a Year As reported by CMS: “The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is slashing wasteful spending and antiquated paperwork by swapping out faxing and mailing for streamlined electronic transactions. This action lets providers spend less time on administrative hassle and more time caring for patients.

PAMES Raises Critical Concerns Over Sole-Source Supply Shift thumbnail

PAMES Raises Critical Concerns Over Sole-Source Supply Shift PAMES and DME suppliers across Washington are taking an important stand on behalf of both providers and patients. The Tacoma Daily Index recently reported on the state's plan to move to a sole-source contract for incontinence and urological supplies. Under this decision, the Health Care Authority intends to transition all Medicaid recipients to receiving these products from a single vendor.

SBA Advocacy: Your Input Matters thumbnail

SBA Advocacy: Your Input Matters Make your voice heard about how the CBP has affected your business.

New Bipartisan Senate Bill Aims to Improve Access to Diabetes Technology & Education for Medicare Beneficiaries thumbnail

New Bipartisan Senate Bill Aims to Improve Access to Diabetes Technology & Education for Medicare Beneficiaries U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Susan Collins (R-ME), Cochairs of the Senate Diabetes Caucus, have introduced the Diabetes Interventions Addressing Barriers to Enrollment, Technology, and Education Services (DIABETES) Act, S.4037.

VGM Reintroduces the Fraud, Waste & Abuse Reporting Resource Center thumbnail

VGM Reintroduces the Fraud, Waste & Abuse Reporting Resource Center VGM Government Relations is proud to announce the reintroduction of its Fraud, Waste & Abuse (FWA) Reporting Resource Center—a newly refreshed online hub designed to protect the integrity of the DMEPOS industry and reinforce our unwavering commitment to ethical, compliant care.

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