NEMEP President John Quinlan Hosts Candidate Joe Sempolinski

Published in Government Relations on November 18, 2021

Yesterday, John Quinlan of Quinlan’s Pharmacy hosted an event with candidate Joe Sempolinski, who is running in New York’s 23rd district replacing Tom Reed, who is not seeking another term in 2022.

Quinlan and the group discussed DMEPOS concerns with the candidate, including the need to release the DMEPOS Final Rule and extend Cares Act reimbursement for non-rural and rural areas, and to establish new rates for competitive bid areas due to increased costs of equipment, PPE, surcharges, and increased labor costs. The group also discussed the need to fix the supply chain issues at our ports and create a plan to manufacture more in the USA.

Event with candidate Joe Sempolinski

(Represented from left to right: John Gallagher, VP of VGM Government Relations; State Assemblywoman Marjorie Byrnes; John Quinlan, President of NEMEP and Quinlan's Pharmacy & Medical Supply; Eric Worden, Quinlan’s Medical Equipment Director of DME Operations; Candidate Joe Sempolinski for District 23; Kevin Greuber Quinlan’s Pharmacy Director of Operations; Dr. Chad Teeters, CEO UR Noyes Health and Medical Director of AHP; and Frank Steed, President of Gerould's Healthcare.)

John Gallagher also attended the event and reports, “I was very impressed with candidate Joe Sempolinski and the two hours he took listening, asking questions, taking notes, and trying to understand what is happening to healthcare access in his potential rural NY district.”

Gallagher adds, “John Quinlan did an outstanding job of inviting a diverse group of healthcare providers (hospital administrator, pharmacy, DME, nursing, etc.) to discuss what is happening with supply chain, staffing, and Medicare & Medicaid issues. It is critical that we as an industry follow John Quinlan’s lead and educate early on future political leaders on DME and how we are an integral cog in the continuum of quality, post-acute healthcare!”

Thank you to all who attended and/or supported this event.


TAGS

  1. state association
  2. 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.