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Welcome to VADMEC
It's FINALLY HERE!
Market Pricing Program Bill (H.R. 1717) was introduced Wednesday, April 24th.
The text of the bill isn't available yet online but information given is:
H.R.1717
Latest Title: To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a market pricing program for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) under part B of the Medicare program.
Sponsor: Rep Price, Tom [GA-6] (introduced 4/24/2013) Cosponsors (25)
Latest Major Action: 4/24/2013 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Appropriations, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
There are 25 original co-sponsors to the bill but none from Virginia...YET! Let's change that NOW!
Call your Member of Congress today to ask for their support! This is IT folks! NOW IS THE TIME!
If you aren't sure who your Member is, please call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and tell them your home zip code and they will direct you.
Click here for the DC office phone and Health Legislative Assistant's name and email
VADMEC Visits Senator Warner to Discuss the Competitive Bidding Issue
A dozen VADMEC members in the Richmond area were able to visit with Senator Mark Warner's Health Legislative Assistant via video conferencing regarding the struggles of the competitive bidding issue. Sam Clay reports that "every day we move the pendulum our way just a little" and hopes are that, upon introduction of legislation to stop the current bidding program and replace it with a system that is more fair (Market Pricing), Senator Warner may decide to support our efforts for MPP.
Thank you to all that attended this meeting! (Pictured - Noel Booker, Respironics; Bonnie Ferraro, Reliacare; Mike Morrison, Virginia Medical Repair; Jolynn Hammelman, Roberts Home Medical; Walter Heath, Clay Home Medical; Sam Clay, Clay Home Medical; Tom Inman, Virginia Home Medical; Wayne Campbell, Richmond Respiratory; Karen Hicks, Franklin County Respiratory; Eddie Gunnell, Home Oxygen and Medical Equipment; Paul Hicks, Franklin County Respiratory; (taking picture) Wayne Sale, Health First)
Tell the White House:
Save Patient Access to Home Medical Equipment
VADMEC asks you to sign and help promote a newly launched petition advocating the Market Pricing Program alternative to Medicare's badly designed and unsustainable bidding program for home medical equipment and services.
The petition requires 100,000 signatures by April 18 to ensure a response by the Obama Administration and reaching that threshold will also help raise the profile of the issue on Capitol Hill and in the media.
Go to www.savepatientaccess.com to be redirected to the petition.
Share the www.savepatientaccess.com address with your colleagues and community - and especially with your patients; if 5,000 homecare providers nationwide can generate just 20 emails in a month, this effort will easily reach 100,000 signatures.
Thank you for your efforts in the fight to save homecare!
"Shutdown the Switchboard" February 26 & 27th
ALL HANDS ON DECK!
4 Easy Steps to Participate in "Shutdown the Switchboard"
Step 1: Call your member of Congress
On February 26-27th while fellow industry stakeholders are in DC meeting with members of Congress, your assistance is needed on the phone! Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and join in the efforts of expressing your frustration about the current bidding program. Representatives and Senator's office numbers are listed below under congressional contact button to the left. If you do not know who your representative is, call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard and give your zip code to be transferred to your representative.
We are at that point where attention and support from legislators is critical in working to replace this flawed system. As an industry we need everyone's help! Even if you are not able to make the trip to DC, the same impact can be delivered through a passionate phone call. Mark your calendars and get your dialing fingers ready to call your legislator February 26-27th!
Below is a sample script to use at your convenience. If you have any personal stories about how your business is concerned about their future and the patients they serve due to the release of Round 2 prices, please share them with your legislator.
"My name is ______(your name)_______ and I'm from _______(your hometown). I own/work for _______(your company). Some of my fellow industry stakeholders are currently in DC speaking with their members of Congress about the faulty competitive bidding system. In conjunction with their efforts, I am calling to insist that Rep./Sen. _____(name) work to stop the current bidding program. This process encourages unethical manipulation of the bidding system by submitting a "low ball" bid in order to increase the probability of being awarded a contract. CMS has continued to deny industry and congressional requests for information pertaining to the methodology and specific factors used not only for Round 2, but for the Round 1 rebid which has been in place for over two years! Over 200 economists and auction experts agree the current system is flawed, and as an industry we have a solution. The Market Pricing Program (MPP) would address all of the critical problems while still setting fair market prices. I am requesting that Rep./Sen. _____(name) contact their respective leadership in the House and Senate and tell them that this program will hurt beneficiaries and providers and it needs to be stopped. Thank you."
Step 2: Tell others to "Shutdown the Switchboard"
Reach out to employees, referral sources, patients, caregivers, and competitors and urge them to call their member of Congress at 202-224-3121. Also, forward them the petition to and ask to add their name along with yours.
Step 3: Sign petition to repeal bidding program
A New York Medical Equipment Providers Association (NYMEP) member developed a petition to repeal the bidding program on the White House's website. 100,000 signatures are needed before the White House looks at the request to repeal the bidding program. Please pass this message to other industry stakeholders.
To view the petition and add your signature, click here.
Step 4: Get your beneficiaries involvedThe People for Quality Care has a brochure that explains the Medicare competitive bidding program in simple terms for beneficiaries. Whether you display them on the front cover or give them to customers during deliveries, it will help to educate beneficiaries about the situation and encourage them to speak out to Congress. The best part is they are free to you!
Click here to be linked to the brochure.
Or, contact Beth Cox at beth.cox@peopleforqualitycare.org or 866-544-7913 with your address and the quantity you need, and VGM will send them directly to you.
2013 VADMEC Winter Meeting
"Discover. Execute. Sustain."
March 12-13th, 2013
Omni Richmond Hotel - Richmond, VA
Click on Meeting Information for agenda and printable registration forms.
DME Industry - Fight Back to Stop
Flawed Bidding Program:
Plan to Push Back
Let Congress, the Media, Clinicians, Patients and Everyone Who Values Homecare Know Why Competitive Bidding is Bad. Click here for Issue Paper to Share with Congress
Click here for Talking Points
PULLING OUT ALL STOPS TO TAKE ACTION NOW and Stop Competitive Bidding
Replace it with MPP - HR 6490
Click Virginia Congressional contacts button to the left for information.
Click here for H.R. 6490 Bill Text
AAHomecare says...
The bipartisan legislation introduced by Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) would replace the current bidding program with a financially sustainable market pricing program (MPP) that is based upon sound economic principles universally embraced by auction experts across the country...Key components of the legislation are:
- MPP includes the same DME items as the current bidding program and is implemented across the country in the same timeframe as the current program;
- Two product categories are bid per geographic area. Eight additional product categories in that same area would have prices adjusted based on auctions conducted simultaneously in comparable geographic areas;
- Bid areas are smaller than metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) and more homogeneous;
- Bids are binding and cash deposits are required to ensure only serious bidders participate;
- The bid price is based on the clearing price, not the median price of winners;
- The same areas that are exempted under the competitive bidding program will be exempted under MPP; and
- MPP is designed to be budget-neutral.
All HME providers should take steps to educate lawmakers about the perils of competitive bidding and explain why MPP is the right solution. AAHomecare makes it easy. Go to the Association's TAKE ACTION web page to get started.
Health Reform Built to Fail
Americans may not be familiar with the medical innovation called negative pressure wound therapy, though it has helped hundreds of thousands of patients with complex or chronic injuries like burns or diabetic ulcer complications that could never heal on their own. Now President Obama's Medicare team is about to severely damage this field, and many others too - all in the name of reforming how the entitlement pays for care. Click here for the rest of the article
Contact Your Representative Immediately About Market Pricing Program
On Friday, Representative Dave Camp, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee introduced H.R. 3630, The Middle Class Tax Relief & Job Creation Act. The legislation extends a number of provisions scheduled to expire at the end of the year, including extensions of the payroll tax cut, an extension of unemployment insurance program, and a provision to prevent a 27.4 percent cut in Medicare physician payment rates slated to begin on January 1, 2012 and instead increase payment rates by 1 percent in 2012 and again in 2013 (known as the "Doc Fix").
AAHomecare has identified the "Doc Fix" bill as a possible legislative vehicle to replace the failed competitive bidding program with the sustainable market pricing program (MPP). While the Association has received positive feedback from Capitol Hill regarding MPP, the effort to stop the competitive bidding program has not been easy. The Administration opposes any changes to the current bid program and continues to tout the "success" of it. Unfortunately, the Camp bill (H.R. 3630) does not include the MPP proposal. AAHomecare has received information from Hill sources that indicate the Camp bill could be used as the basis for House and Senate negotiations for the final package to fix physician reimbursement in Medicare. Hill sources also indicate the bill could be on the House floor by week's end.
VADMEC has already sent an email to ALL 11 Members of Congress from VA so please follow up and contact them directly as the constituent - your voice speaks loudly!
The Capitol Switchboard number is 202-224-3121. After you make your call, please email Beth at vadmec@nc.rr.com to update VADMEC on the progress of your call!
CEDI Recertification by Sept 1, 2011
Please complete your CEDI Trading partner Recertification form - all trading partners must complete the recertification form to keep their ID active. The recertification form is located under EDI Enrollment.
The CEDI (the Common Electronic Data Interchange) provides a single electronic front end solution for all DME MAC suppliers. CEDI works closely with DME MAC software vendors, billing services, clearinghouses, and trading partners (electronic submitters) on all electronic front end needs. All DME MAC electronic claims (ANSI and NCPDP) and 275 transactions are collected by CEDI. CEDI also returns all DME MAC electronic front end reports, electronic remittance advices and the 277 response transaction.
CEDI does not handle Claims Status Inquire (CSI) or Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). DME MAC suppliers must contact appropriate DME MAC Jurisdiction for CSI and EFT information.
This information was found on http://www.ngscedi.com/
CMS Mishandling of Medicare Bidding
Help us identify patterns of CMS mishandling or abuse of "competitive" or the restrictive Medicare bidding for DMEPOS by filling out the form on AA Homecare's site - Click here to be directed to the AA Homecare site.
DMEPOS Contract Suppliers Announced!
Check out our Competitive Bidding page for more information...
Thank You 2012 VADMEC Sponsors!
Platinum Sponsors
Invacare Corporation - www.invacare.com
VGM Group - www.vgm.com
Gold Sponsors
Brightree - www.brightree.com
Resmed - www.resmed.com
Silver Sponsors
Accreditation Commission for Healthcare - www.achc.org
Lifegas - www.lifegas.com
Next Day Medical/McKesson - www.nexdaymed.com
Philips Respironics - www.respironics.com
The Med Group - http://new.medgroup.com/index.aspx
Bronze Sponsors
Airsep - www.airsep.com
BSN Medical/JOBST - www.bsnmedical.com
J Spradlin Inc. - www.jspradlininc.com
Strategic AR - www.strategicar.com
Transfer Solutions - www.thetranslock.com
Universal Software Solutions - www.universalss.com
Virginia Medical Repair - www.virginiamedicalrepair.com
Members of Congress
Senator Jim Webb (D-VA)
Phone: 202-224-4024
Senator Mark R. Warner (D-VA)
Phone: 202-224-2023
Rep. Rob Wittman (R-1st)
Jamie Miller 202-225-4261
jamie.miller@mail.house.gov
Rep. Scott Rigel (D-2nd)
Abby Gunderson; Leg. Dir. 202-225-4215
abby.gunderson@mail.house.gov
Rep. Bobby Scott (D-3rd)
Randi Estes-Petty 202-225-8351
randi.estes@mail.house.gov
Rep. Randy Forbes (R-4th)
Ryan Kaldahl 202-225-6365
ryan.kaldahl@mail.house.gov
Rep.Robert Hurt (D-5th)
Kelly Simpson 202-225-4711
kelly.simpson@mail.house.gov
Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-6th)
Kathryn Rexrode 202-225-5431
Kathryn.Rexrode@mail.house.gov
Rep. Eric Cantor (R-7th)
Kate MacGregor 202-225-2815
kate.macgregor@mail.house.gov
Rep. James Moran (D-8th)
Marcia Knutson 202-225-4376
marcia.knutson@mail.house.gov
Morgan Griffith (D-9th)
Christin O'Brien 202-225-3861
Christin.obrien@mail.house.gov
Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10th)
Jillian Pevo 202-225-5136
jillian.pevo@mail.house.gov
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11th)
Dominic Bonaiuto--Leg. Dir. 202-225-1492
dominic.bonaiuto@mail.house.gov
VADMEC represents the Durable Medical Equipment Companies of Virginia.
Code of Ethics:
Promoting compliance with accepted standards of practice and ethics for the industry.
Effecting positive change through regulation and legislation
Promoting the financial viability of the membership.
Assuring that quality DME is an integral part of health care policy in the future.
Promoting appropriateness and quality of care.
Educating members, consumers, legislators, allied health care professionals, manufacturers and third party payors.
Serving as liaison between governing agencies, third party payors and the membership.
Being politically pro-active.
Serving as the clearinghouse for the distribution of information.
Assuring the continuation of a market driven DME industry.
Demonstrating leadership and sound management principles.
Contact us for more information:
Beth Bowen
TayCar, Inc.
P.O. Box 4411
Cary, NC 27519-4411
Ph: 919 387 1221
vadmec@nc.rr.com
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