Join the Upcoming Webinar, "Coping with Continued Pandemic/Supply Chain Issues," on Tuesday, November 9!

Published in Government Relations on October 28, 2021

Supply chain issues, vendor surcharges, labor shortages, and product recalls are just a few of the complexities HME suppliers are currently facing during this COVID-19 pandemic. VGM is here to shed some light on these issues and offer some suggestions on how you can endure these issues and still continue to provide quality products and services to your patients.

Please join us for an upcoming webinar with the VGM Government Relations and Regulatory team on Tuesday, November 9 from 12 p.m.– 2 p.m. CT.

Watch the Recording

What will be discussed?

Non-assigned versus assigned claim submission

Ronda Buhrmester, Senior Director of Payer Relations and Reimbursement, VGM and Dan Fedor, Director of Reimbursement and Education, U.S. Rehab

Due to surcharges, inflation, and staffing issues along with the declining reimbursement rates, we are hearing from suppliers that they want to learn how to submit a claim non-assigned. While this concept is not new to our industry, suppliers have continued to accept assignment. However, due to the increases in acquisition costs, the financial burden does not and should not fall on the supplier. During this session, Ronda and Dan will review an in depth process for submitting claims non-assigned as a  non-participating supplier. And if you are enrolled as participating, this is good news because open enrollment starts Nov. 15. If you are a supplier that is part of a health system and under the same tax identification number, we will give you options for continuing as a participating supplier. Get your staff together to learn how to understand the process of non-assigned versus assigned claim submission.

In addition, at the end of the presentation, Dan and Ronda will bring in a panel of suppliers, your peers, currently submitting non-assigned claims. They will be able to share their insight of the good, the bad, and what to watch out for with submitting claims non-assigned.

Craig Douglas, VP of Payer Relations will summarize the depth and breadth of the vendor surcharges including which manufacturers, product categories, and dollar amounts. Craig will outline our letter to CMS asking for rate relief and list the things the audience can use in their conversations with customers and other payers.

Mark Higley, VP of Regulatory Affairs

It’s well known that COVID-19 is still disrupting the healthcare industry supply chain, where much of the attention was directed to shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect frontline clinicians. However, as you are most aware, the supply chain challenges also are extending to durable medical equipment (DME) and supplies required by our at-risk patients in their homes to manage chronic conditions and other medical issues. Mark will offer an analysis, update and commentary.

Watch the Recording


TAGS

  1. covid-19
  2. phe
  3. regulatory
  4. reimbursement
  5. vgm government

From Our Experts

Introducing Patient Voices: Access to HME Matters thumbnail Introducing Patient Voices: Access to HME Matters The VGM Government Relations team is excited to announce Patient Voices: Access to HME Matters, a new way for patients, providers, vendors, caregivers, and industry partners to share their experiences with home medical equipment. Every story matters. AAHomecare Survey Results of RID Program thumbnail AAHomecare Survey Results of RID Program Thank you to AAHomecare for initiating this important survey demonstrating the significant risks to the DMEPOS industry should Remote Item Delivery Competitive Bid Program (RID CBP) Round 2028 move forward as is. VGM Group is proud to support the survey efforts to maximize provider participation. See below for the survey summary and analysis. Competitive Bidding Update: NPEast and NPWest Updating Licensure Requirement Information for Competitive Bidding Product Categories thumbnail Competitive Bidding Update: NPEast and NPWest Updating Licensure Requirement Information for Competitive Bidding Product Categories Per the Remote Item Delivery Competitive Bidding Program (RID CBP) Round 2028 requirements, bidders must meet all business and product category licensure requirements across every state, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories to be eligible to be a contract winner. New CMS Nationwide Probationary Prior Authorization Requirement for Newly Enrolled Suppliers of Certain DMEPOS Items thumbnail New CMS Nationwide Probationary Prior Authorization Requirement for Newly Enrolled Suppliers of Certain DMEPOS Items On Sept. 2, 2026, CMS introduced the Probationary Prior Authorization (PPA) program that will place newly enrolled DMEPOS Suppliers and those undergoing 100% change in ownership on a one-year probationary period. Effective Oct. 15, impacted suppliers will be required to submit a prior authorization request for specific HCPCS codes. OIG Report Signals Increased Fraud Oversight for DMEPOS Suppliers thumbnail OIG Report Signals Increased Fraud Oversight for DMEPOS Suppliers The HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently released a white paper examining ongoing Medicare fraud involving durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS). Preparing for Increased Audit Activity: How VGM Group and The van Halem Group Can Help thumbnail Preparing for Increased Audit Activity: How VGM Group and The van Halem Group Can Help The recent HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) report on DMEPOS fraud signals that CMS is likely to increase oversight activities across the industry. The report calls for enhanced supplier enrollment screening, more aggressive medical reviews, expanded use of artificial intelligence and data analytics, greater physician order verification, and increased scrutiny of supplier ownership and billing practices. CMS Releases Critical Updates On The Medicare Supplier Enrollment Moratorium And Round 2028 Competitive Bidding Program thumbnail CMS Releases Critical Updates On The Medicare Supplier Enrollment Moratorium And Round 2028 Competitive Bidding Program See CMS' notice on the Medicare Supplier Enrollment Moratorium below: Medicare's DMEPOS Supplier Enrollment Moratorium Has Expired | Action Required for Round 2028 Bidders This message is to inform you that the 6-month temporary moratorium on accepting Medicare supplier enrollment applications, which became effective on February 27, 2026, has now expired as of August 27, 2026. CMS Updates CBIC Website Bid Preparation Guidance for Round 2028 Competitive Bidding Program thumbnail CMS Updates CBIC Website Bid Preparation Guidance for Round 2028 Competitive Bidding Program On August 13, 2026, CMS posted several updated and new Fact Sheets and one new FAQ to the Bid Preparation Phase page on the CBIC website. Providers interested in submitting a bid for Round 2028 can find more program details, including the estimated number of contract awards, for each category.