Urgent Advocacy Needed: Extend 75/25 Blended Rate Relief

Published in Government Relations on February 22, 2024

As Senate and House leaders are continuing their efforts to secure funding beyond March 2024, the importance of the 75/25 blended-rate provision is becoming increasingly apparent. Under the current Continuing Resolution, the DMEPOS rates dropped on average 30% Jan. 1, 2024. There is a lot of work being done actively to get it included in an upcoming spending package, but we need your help!

We NEED every leader within our industry to personally contact healthcare staffers for your Senators and Representatives about S. 1294 and H.R. 5555. When you do, please request that they reach out in their respective leaders to support the inclusion of DMEPOS relief in non-rural areas within the next funding legislative package.

TAKE ACTION S. 1294               TAKE ACTION H.R. 5555

Extending the 75/25 blended rate not only benefits non-CBA, non-rural suppliers, but it also has broader implications:

  • Medicaid Rates: States that use Medicare rates as a guideline will benefit.
  • TRICARE and Private Payers: These rates influence other payers as well.

Furthermore, advocating for this relief reinforces the message to CMS that a long-term, market-based solution for Medicare ratemaking in the HME sector is crucial.

Even if you have already reached out to your legislator, we ask that you do so again! For an easy way to reach out to your legislator, please visit our action center.

Ike Isaacson's Update on the 75/25 Blended Rate

If you would like to learn more about this bill, please click here. While the key committees continue to work through bill priorities, we need your congressperson to stand up for you and for your clients to ensure that our bills are passed and that services can continue.

Let’s be Champions of Change to make sure that congressional leaders understand the urgency of this issue. Together, we can secure the relief our industry needs.

From Our Experts

Manufacturer Survey On Tariffs thumbnail Manufacturer Survey On Tariffs The American Association for Homecare and VGM Group are seeking valuable insights from durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) manufacturers and vendor partners regarding tariffs imposed on certain countries. Key Payers Denied Your Application Citing Their Network Is Closed – Now What? thumbnail Key Payers Denied Your Application Citing Their Network Is Closed – Now What? This experience has increasingly become one of the most common questions we receive from our provider members as more and more payers move to narrow their provider networks. The reasons payers seek to narrow their networks are simple. Payers are highly motivated to achieve their goals while doing less work and are not required to allow providers into their networks unless there is a patient access issue. For those of you fortunate enough to be a part of a narrow network, this may not be much of Congress Returns: Medicaid Cuts Take Center Stage thumbnail Congress Returns: Medicaid Cuts Take Center Stage Congress is back in session after a two-week recess. Number one on the docket is figuring out the budget. The house is tasked with coming up with a $1.5 trillion reduction and a key committee is in the spotlight. The DMEPOS Relief Act Of 2025 – WE NEED YOUR HELP! thumbnail The DMEPOS Relief Act Of 2025 – WE NEED YOUR HELP! The DMEPOS Relief Act of 2025 (or H.R. 2005) is bipartisan legislation that was recently introduced in Congress designed to increase reimbursement for a large percentage of HME providers across the country. This bill establishes a higher reimbursement rate (known as the 75/25 blended rate) for durable medical equipment in nonrural/noncompetitive bidding areas under Medicare until Dec. 31, 2025. Champion Of Change: Lauryn Estrella Speaks On Tariffs Impacting HME Providers And Patients thumbnail Champion Of Change: Lauryn Estrella Speaks On Tariffs Impacting HME Providers And Patients Today, we shine a spotlight on Lauryn Estrella, the dedicated Executive Director of Home Medical Equipment and Services Association of New England (HOMES) and a true Champion of Change in the HME industry. Ensuring Access To Care: The Fight For Permanent Telehealth Flexibilities thumbnail Ensuring Access To Care: The Fight For Permanent Telehealth Flexibilities Americans utilizing telehealth services to access healthcare is at an all-time high. It's a convenient method without having to leave the home, giving access to healthcare professionals from anywhere. It expands a patient's choice of provider and enables the provider the ability to see more patients. SOAR Act Takes Flight: Bipartisan Push To Improve Supplemental Oxygen Access And Medicare Protections thumbnail SOAR Act Takes Flight: Bipartisan Push To Improve Supplemental Oxygen Access And Medicare Protections The Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act has been reintroduced in both the House and Senate. In the House, the bipartisan H.R. 2902 was introduced by Representatives David Valadao (R-CA), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Adrian Smith (R-NE), and Gabe Evans (R-CO). Meanwhile, in another show of bipartisan support, S1406, was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). Melanie Ewald Joins VGM Government Relations Team As VP Of Payer Relations And Reimbursement thumbnail Melanie Ewald Joins VGM Government Relations Team As VP Of Payer Relations And Reimbursement VGM Government Relations is proud to announce the addition of Melanie Ewald as Vice President Of Payer Relations And Reimbursement.