Congressional Meeting Toolkit
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Congressional Meetings 101
A comprehensive guide on congressional meeting etiquette, advice, and other tips.
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Committees of Jurisdiction for Health Care
A list of the 117th Congress committee assignments.
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Delivery Cost Study
Costs have risen for suppliers in the wake of the pandemic. Although they are still rising, we captured the increased costs suppliers have been facing through a snapshot survey. View the results (separated by region) here.
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Decreasing number of HME suppliers nationwide
We have tracked the number of HME suppliers since 2010. Every year, we update these numbers and have found 41% of suppliers have exited business since then. View this document to see how suppliers have decreased nationwide.
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Geographic Classifications
View how physical locations of beneficiaries determine reimbursement rates for suppliers
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What the government could gain from investing into HME
A page from a study by Brian Leitten over cost savings the government could achieve by investing into HME. Additionally, there is a chart that shows how much the government currently spends on HME.
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Research Studies and Articles
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Competitive Bidding: Pressure Sore, Urological, and Diabetes Equipment and Supplies
For the past decade, we have studied and reported on Medicare spending on durable medical equipment (DME). Our goal, starting in 2011, was to determine how successful the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) was in providing Medicare beneficiaries with DME that they needed to avoid or minimize illness and injury.
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State request President release federal stockpile of supplies
This articles from Bloomberg Government on March 17, 2020 provides information about states asking the federal government to tap into the nation's reserve of medical supplies as demand for essentials like masks and ventilators are far higher than the public supply.
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MAP- Decline of Medical Equipment Suppliers in the U.S. over the past 10 years
DME suppliers, many of them being small businesses, are being forced to close their doors due to reimbursement cuts, regulatory restrictions, and excessive and unreasonable audits. The map indicates the number and percentage increase or decrease in DME suppliers over the last ten years.
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Medicare Cost Shifting-Leitten Study July 2018
This study from 2018 outlines how by shifting both the cost and the focus of CMS to provide needed treatment for patients up front, the government can dramatically reduce overall healthcare costs and
improve the care provided to its Medicare beneficiaries.
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DME Supplier Numbers
Use this spreadsheet to illustrate the issues DME suppliers are facing to elected officials and their staff. When printing, print in landscape orientation.
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The Case For Medicare Investment in DME - Brian Leitten
This resource outlines how America can cut waste, save money, and improve healthcare.
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Delivery Cost Survey Results
Although they are still rising, we captured the increased costs suppliers have been facing through a snapshot surveys.
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The Case for Medicare Investment in DME (Full Study) - Brian Leitten
This full-version study outlines how America can cut waste, save money, and improve healthcare..
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Rural HME Provider Study (MT,ND,OR,WA,WV,WI)
This report details findings and summarizes important statistics from the study done in response to changes in the competitive bidding process regarding the Medicare DMEPOS.
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Rural HME Provider Study (NE,ID,KS,UT,SD)
This report details findings and summarizes important statistics from the study done in response to changes in the competitive bidding process regarding the Medicare DMEPOS.
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ADA official statement on NMQF Study
This statement is a response to Puckrein et al., “Impact of CMS Competitive Bidding Program on Medicare Beneficiary Safety and Access to Diabetes Testing Supplies: A Retrospective, Longitudinal Analysis.”
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NMQF Press Release Diabetes Care
This press release announces a peer-reviewed journal article shows how disruption in access to diabetes testing supplies led to increased mortality and hospitalizations, higher costs for Medicare beneficiaries.
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The Case for Medicare Investment in DME-2014 by Brian Leitten
In an effort to reduce health care costs, Medicare has implemented policies that drastically cut medical equipment access for seniors and people with disabilities. However, a recent study shows that the healthcare system and beneficiaries will actually save on long-term costs if the government invests in durable medical equipment services up front.
Study: Competitive Bidding - A Decade Focused on the Wrong Prize
Over the past decade, CMS imposed its competitive bidding program on the DME supply industry, attempting to reduce DME spending and attempt to eliminate the fraud they saw in the system. CMS spent the entire decade focused on the wrong prize. Instead of squeezing every dollar they could out of the system, often without due regard to the needs of their Medicare beneficiaries or the realities of the DME marketplace, they totally missed the big opportunity, orders of magnitude larger ‐‐ reducing the cost of treating injuries and illnesses that befall Medicare beneficiaries who lack the critical DME they need to stay well.
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DMEPOS NPI Count
DMEPOS NPI Count 2010-Sept. 2020
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VGM Letter to Payer: CPAP Compliance Requirements
VGM Letter to Payer: Need for Action Due to Rising Costs
Resources to help with payer conversations
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