AAHomecare Tackles Payment Update Cut

During last month's markup of the House Energy and Commerce Committee health care reform bill, an amendment from Rep. Gene Green, D-Texas, would reduce the Medicare DME fee schedule payment update by 0.5 percent in 2010-2013 in order to provide additional reimbursement for Part B cancer drugs. The association reported it is working with Green's office to find an alternative offset and believes the payment cut will be eliminated from the legislation once the three House committees — Ways and Means and Education and Labor also have jurisdiction — merge their health reform bills in September. Stay tuned.