VGM Government Relations Blog

June 15, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today re-introduced legislation to ensure breast cancer patients and survivors who have experienced a mastectomy are able to access custom breast prosthetics under Medicare. The Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act of 2021 would provide coverage for custom fabricated breast prostheses—which, unlike other prosthetic devices, are not currently covered by Medicare—to the more than...

Please reach out to your member of Congress today asking them to sign the letter to CMS asking to extend the manual wheelchair accessories exemption from the competitive bidding program. 

Legislative provisions exempting manual CRT accessories from competitive bidding-derived pricing are set to expire on June 30, 2021. Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) is circulating a Congressional sign-on letter asking CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks‐LaSure to extend that exemption. 

In...

HHS has revised the Post-Payment Notice of Reporting Requirements - PDF as of today, June 11, 2021.

 ** Please note, the link to the PDF document has been intermittenly working. You can also click here for additional information. 

This new version supersedes all previous versions of the...

On June 9th, John Gallagher joined MAMES Member Patrick Naeger from Healthcare Equipment & Supply Co. at an event in Cape Girardeau, Missouri for Rep. Jason Smith. Rep. Smith is the ranking member of the House Budget Committee and serves on Ways and Means (subcommittees: Human Resources, Social Security). He represents the 8th district of Missouri, a large chunk of the state that is home to 45 HME (Home Medical Equipment) suppliers and many rural communities.

Naeger had this...

Yesterday the Northeast Medical Equipment Providers Association (NEMEP) was featured in an article in The Center Square. The article, “Medical equipment providers look to New York lawmakers for relief from partial reimbursements,” discusses low reimbursement rates, and the lack of medical equipment providers as a result. John Quinlan, association president and president of Quinlan’s Pharmacy and Medical Equipment, states in the article, “There are 12 counties...

On Wednesday June 2nd, MAMES members met with staff from Rep. Angie Craig’s (D-MN-02) office in Burnsville, MN. Rep. Angie Craig sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee as well as Small Business Committee. Her district houses competitive bid areas, rural and non-rural areas.

Discussions included:

Great news out of Oklahoma today! The Oklahoma Supreme Court shut down Governor Kevin Stitt’s plan to privatize the state’s Medicaid Program, ruling in favor of medical associations that challenged the constitutionality of his plan. The Oklahoma Medical Equipment Providers Association (OMEPA), was one of the medical associations that was opposed to privatizing Oklahoma Medicaid.

In January of 2021, Governor Stitt announced his plan for SoonerSelect, his plan...

These next couple of weeks will provide a great opportunity to get face to face with your member of Congress. Many House members will be back in their home states/districts through June 14th, holding meet & greet and town hall events. Town hall events typically cost no money to attend and provide you with an opportunity to address your Senator or member of Congress directly about your issues and concerns.

Most members of Congress have up-coming events or town halls events listed on their...

Earlier this week, PAMES members, along with John Gallagher, met Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers staff in her Spokane office. The group had the privilege of voicing their concerns, particularly on the topic of increasing reimbursement for home medical equipment products and services.

Accompanying Gallagher were Mike Calcaterra and Paul Sabin from Norco, Don Whitney of Inland Medical and Rehab, and Melissa Roberts of Bellevue Healthcare. All these individuals operate in the state of Washington...