Take Action Today: Urge CMS to Pause and Re-Evaluate the Competitive Bidding Program

Published in Government Relations on October 24, 2025

Now is the time to raise our voices. With the formal announcement of the Competitive Bidding (CB) Program expected as early as the end of this month, we must act swiftly and decisively. Below are two key opportunities to engage with your U.S. Representative and encourage their support for a Congressional letter urging Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to pause and reassess the CB Program. 

A new congressional letter led by Representatives Dan Meuser (R-PA) and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) calls on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the CMS to pause the CB program and re-evaluate its provisions. The letter emphasizes the need to ensure the program aligns with the Administration’s goals of rebuilding American manufacturing, protecting Main Street businesses, and fostering innovation. 

The letter is addressed to Dr. Mehmet Oz, highlighting the urgency and importance of reassessing the CB program’s impact on the durable medical equipment (DME) industry and the broader healthcare ecosystem. 

Read the full letter here.

Take Action: Please contact your representative and urge them to support this effort by signing the letter. Instruct them to reach out directly to Rep. Meuser’s or Rep. Miller-Meeks’ offices to express your support or ask questions. AAHomecare shared this call to action yesterday along with valuable resources and guidance to help you engage effectively (see below). 

Help Recruit House Republicans to Join Sign-On Letter on CB Program 

Please Reach Out to GOP House Members as Soon as Possible! 

Reps. Dan Meuser and Mariannette Miller-Meeks are spearheading a sign-on letter for House Republicans asking CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz to prevent flawed provisions for a new round of the Competitive Bidding Program (CBP) from taking effect. 
 
The letter notes several major issues with the CBP provisions in the recent DMEPOS/Home Health Proposed Rule, including impacts on domestic medical product manufacturing, the addition of new product categories unsuited to the bidding program, and impacts on business.
 
The letter specifically asks CMS to withdraw expansion of the CBP into new product categories and to keep in place “guardrails established under the first Trump Administration—including use of the unadjusted 2015 fee schedules as the bid ceiling and payment at the clearing price—helped stabilize the market, maintain supplier viability, and protect patient access.” 
 
The letter proposes an alternate path that directs the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to “test an America First demonstration that rewards U.S.-made and allied-sourced products, incorporates modern fraud-prevention technologies, and evaluates outcomes before any nationwide expansion.” 
 
While we seek and embrace bipartisan support for reining in the numerous problematic issues with the proposed rule, this letter is specifically focused on enlisting House Republicans to weigh in with Dr. Oz. 
 
If you are represented in the House by a Republican, please share the letter with their staffer who handles healthcare issues and ask them to join the letter. You can share the link below with them (copy and paste) so they can see the letter and sign on: 
 
https://quill.senate.gov/letters/letter/30197/opt-in/view/5ec4607e-b349-4ea4-99ea-e9a1de08d379/ 
 
Note: you will not be able to open that link, but Congressional staff can access it to see and sign on to the letter. You can view the letter language here. 
 
CMS is expected to release Final Rule soon, so please take action today! 
 
Contact Gordon Barnes at gordonb@aahomecare.org if you need contact info for your healthcare staffer or would like a PDF attachment of the letter to share, or for any other assistance in developing and delivering your message. 
 
Thank you for your advocacy as we continue to use every available channel to reach and influence the Administration on the flawed CBP proposal! 

Oct. 23, 2025 

From Our Experts

WEBINAR: Current Legislative Update – What's Ahead for the DME Industry thumbnail WEBINAR: Current Legislative Update – What's Ahead for the DME Industry Join VGM Group's Ike Isaacson and AAHomecare's Jay Witter for a timely legislative update on the issues shaping the DME industry. With significant movement at the federal level, this session will break down the latest developments, emerging challenges, and what suppliers should be watching right now. Meet the Candidates: Rob Sand, Iowa State Auditor and Gubernatorial Candidate, Visits VGM thumbnail Meet the Candidates: Rob Sand, Iowa State Auditor and Gubernatorial Candidate, Visits VGM On Thursday, April 16, VGM Group welcomed Iowa State Auditor and gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand to its headquarters as part of VGM's Meet the Candidates series. 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.