JEFFERSON CITY, MO.--Members of the Midwest Association for Medical Equipment Services recently testified before the Missouri Medicaid Commission to argue the need for updating DME policies to help providers, patients and save state funds.

"We're confident we have a strong argument to convince them DME is a vital part of home care and a very cost effective component of the health care dollar," said MAMES Missouri State Chair Brady Vestal, director of home medical equipment at Citizen Memorial Health Care in Bolivar, Mo.

The group testified in response to recent Medicaid reforms in the state, including a bill that eliminates coverage of most HME other than oxygen, manual and power wheelchair bases, ostomy supplies, diabetic supplies and prosthetics.

Although there is nothing that can be done to change these policies during next year, Vestal said he hopes the organization can influence policy in the future. "Our goal is to work with the reform commission," he said. "There is a great opportunity to update these policies and do so in a way that would provide significant cost savings for the state."

Most of the state's Medicaid DME coverage policies, he explained, were written in the early '80s and are in inconsistent with Medicare guidelines.

"We highlighted how little sense these cuts made," Vestal said. "Medicaid will pay for respiratory medications under the pharmacy benefit, but won't pay for a nebulizer compressor. The committee agreed that makes no sense at all."

Vestal said the reform commission was "very receptive," and MAMES members will be developing a list of recommended policies that could be changed or updated.

But as the cuts stand currently, Vestal continued, "I see the possibility where if patients who just had heart surgery cannot get a hospital bed and go home, the hospital isn't going to discharge them. This is going to have a ripple effect on hospitals, emergency rooms and long-term care facilities."