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Iowa Senators Expand Their Understanding of DME Supplier Issues

Published in VGM Government Relations on October 22, 2024

NuCara Home Medical hosted an event for Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) at their Urbandale location on Thursday, Oct. 10. Matt Flatt, CEO of NuCara Home Medical, highlighted the event as a valuable opportunity to educate Sen. Ernst on the importance of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) and the challenges faced by the industry. A special thanks to Matt Flatt and his team at NuCara Home Medical for organizing this fantastic event! 

NuCara

John Gallagher of VGM, Matt Flatt of NuCara Home Medical, and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) 

NuCara Home Medical

Sen. Ernst with the NuCara Home Medical team 

On Thursday, Oct. 17, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) visited VGM’s headquarters in Waterloo, IA. These meetings were timely, with elections just a few weeks away, emphasizing the need for legislators to consider the DME industry in year-end legislation.  

Both senators were asked to support the 75/25 blended rate in a year-end package and indicated they would voice their support to Sen. John Thune (R-SD) for S1294. 

75/25 blended rate

VGM with Sen.Grassley

John Gallagher, Christa Miehe, Jeremy Stolz, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Adam Miller, and Emily Harken 

Currently, there is a House Dear Colleague letter supporting this legislation. Constituents are encouraged to reach out to their representatives to support this letter, which calls for the re-establishment of the Medicare 75/25 blended rate for DME in non-rural, non-competitive bid areas for 2025. 

How You Can Help: 

  1. Contact your members of Congress and urge them to support the DME industry by reaching out to the staff of Rep. Miller-Meeks (R-IA) or Rep. Tonko (D-NY). 
  2. Highlight the importance and emphasize that fair reimbursement rates are crucial for DME suppliers to provide Medicare beneficiaries with the necessary supplies and services to heal at home, rather than in a hospital. 

Contact Information: 

  • Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ Health Staff: Blake Thelander (blake.thelander@mail.house.gov) 
  • Rep. Paul Tonko’s Health Staff: Emily Silverberg (emily.silverberg@mail.house.gov) 

Engage with Legislators: Legislators will be home for most of October until election day. This is a great opportunity to meet your legislators in person! Here are some ways to engage: 

  • Invite them to your office for a tour and meeting. 
  • Request an in-person meeting at their office. 
  • Attend a public event like a state or town fair and speak directly to them about the issues. 
  • Reach out to their staff members requesting support. 

The period after elections but before the new administration takes over is known as the “lame duck” period. This is an interesting time, as outgoing politicians can make decisions with little fear of consequence, presenting a great opportunity to gain additional support for DME legislation. We are hopeful there will be an end-of-the-year package that will carry the DME bill. 

Please reach out to Emily Harken at Emily.harken@vgm.com if you would like any assistance connecting with your legislator!  

TAGS

  1. advocacy
  2. dmepos
  3. vgm government

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