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

VGM Government Relations Participates in the Iowa Center for Employee Ownership's (IA-CEO) Day at the Capitol thumbnail VGM Government Relations Participates in the Iowa Center for Employee Ownership's (IA-CEO) Day at the Capitol Alongside Amber Brauner, VGM Group's Compensation and Retirement Director, Adam Miller, Vice President of VGM Government Relations, joined numerous employee owners and advocates from employee-owned businesses (ESOPs) across Iowa for a panel discussion with several state legislators and Iowa's Lieutenant Governor. CMS Updates FAQ On Competitive Bidding Program thumbnail CMS Updates FAQ On Competitive Bidding Program On April 2, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a new FAQ, inclusive of 24 new questions and answers, on the next round of DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program (CBP) via CBIC, the official information source for bidders and focal point for bidder education. 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.