HME Interim Final Rule Clears CMS—Available for Public Comment
Fee increase and beneficiary cost sharing noted as points to watch.

By Kristin Easterling

(May 10, 2018)—After months of advocacy from AAHomecare and other industry stakeholders, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and CMS have cleared the Interim Final Rule related to HME (CMS-1687-IFC) to increase fee schedule rates for certain DME items and services through 2018. Language in the recent Omnibus bill also urged the Administration to release the rule and move on relief for rural providers.

When CRT Advocates Expect Relief Legislation
Message to Congress: Don't let the 10 percent get lost in larger issues.

By Liz Carey

(May 10, 2018)—Applying steady pressure to pass two pieces of targeted legislation, complex rehab technology stakeholders joined recently for the 2018 National CRT Leadership and Advocacy Conference in Washington. In the days ahead, they’ll be following up on their Capitol Hill visits and looking for their priorities to pass either in forthcoming opioid legislation sooner, or upcoming Medicare legislation later this fall.

CMS Announces Agency's First Rural Health Strategy
Strategy seeks to ensure individuals in rural America have access to high quality, affordable care.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 8, 2018)—Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the agency’s first Rural Health Strategy intended to provide a proactive approach on health care issues to ensure that the nearly one in five individuals who live in rural America have access to high quality, affordable health care.

Bachenheimer to Take on General Counsel Duties for AAHomecare

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 7, 2018)—The American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) has retained Brown & Fortunato, P.C., a Texas-based law firm with a national health care practice, to provide a range of legal and advisory services. Longtime HME advocate Cara Bachenheimer, who is set to join Brown & Fortunato on June 1, will be taking a leading role in this engagement, providing General Counsel support on regulatory, legislative and Association governance fronts.

Numotion Partners with CareCredit

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (May 7, 2018)—Numotion has partnered with CareCredit, a health care credit card, to offer customers a solution for any out-of-pocket expenses. CareCredit offers promotional financing for transactions greater than or equal to $200, that includes no interest if paid in-full within 12 months, or an additional option for reduced APR with equal monthly payments for up to 24 months.