Page 25 - HME Business, November 2017

News / Trends / Analysis
Industry Pushes Past Price’s Departure
Unexpected resignation from HHS Secretary Price took many by surprise, but industry pushes agenda forward.
In the wake ofTom Price resigning from his post as Secretary of Health and Human Services, industry advocates are pledging they will push on despite losing an important, long- time industry ally.
Price resigned last month after it was reported in various news outlets that he billed $1 million in charter air travel for himself and his wife using mili- tary and other jets.
This was a stinging blow to HME since, as a Representative of Georgia, Price had worked to advance a number of industry legislative initia- tives, such as the Market Pricing Program alterna- tive to competitive bidding. Working with Price and CMS Administrator Seema Verma, the industry has enjoyed a more receptive relationship with CMS in its efforts to try to decrease the regulatory burdens providers face.
“Throughout his career on Capitol Hill and at HHS, Dr. Price has been one of the most influen- tial champions for public policy that would allow home medical equipment suppliers to main-
tain their place as an effective and essential part of the nation’s healthcare infrastructure,” read a statement released by AAHomecare the weekend Price resigned. “We truly appreciate his long record of passionate support for our industry and the patients we serve.”
At press time, the industry was working to continue pushing forward on a number of initia- tives that were in play prior to Price’s depar-
ture. One of the primary efforts is trying to clear an Interim Final Rule (IFR) that would resume
the 50/50, blended fee schedule for rural and non-bid areas that was in effect during the phase- in of national bid expansion during Jan. 1, 2016 to June 30, 2016.
“Over the past few days, I’ve heard from several individuals at AAHomecare member companies and state/regional associations who are looking for perspective on what last week’s surprising resig- nation of HHS Secretary Tom Price means for our advocacy priorities,” Ryan said. “In particular, people want to how this news affects the Interim Final Rule ... Unfortunately, there is not any estab- lished precedent to draw on in answering these questions.”
Ryan highlighted the fact that a House sign-on letter launched by Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (R-Wash.) that calls on OMB Director Mick Mulvaney to clear the currently-in-review IFR has garnered signatures from 104 lawmakers. (The
text of the McMorris-Rodgers letter is available
at http://bit.ly/2jOmyH7.) Ryan added that hasn’t been the only angle the industry has been working to advance the IFR.
“We have also met with OMB to provide HME industry perspective on the need for relief for non-bid area suppliers and will be sharing our full final report on the impact of competitive bidding on HME patient access with the OMB, HHS and CMS by the end of the week,” he noted. “In addi- tion, our champions on Capitol Hill are working on legislation to provide relief for rural providers in the event that the IFR does not move forward from OMB.”
The industry should be in advantageous posi- tion to advance legislation if needed thanks to the outreach HME providers and industry advocates did in support of the McMorris-Rodgers letter,
as well as an earlier Senate sign-on letter, Ryan noted.
“Although we have lost a strong advocate at HHS, we have established good working relation- ships with other leaders who remain at HHS and CMS,” he said. “Additionally, we have brought on consultants with a long track record of working with these agencies who have contributed signifi- cantly to our successes so far.
“I believe we are well-positioned to advocate for these policy priorities going forward,” he added encouraging stakeholders to continue their “excel- lent efforts to build relationships with their repre- sentatives in the Senate and House.” n
CAIRE Taps Altra Service Professionals as Authorized Service Center
Relationship aims to cut provider costs, covers stationary and portable devices in New Jersey and New England.
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CAIRE Inc. has named Altra Service Professionals as the authorized service center for its portable and stationary oxygen concentrators in New Jersey and New England.
Altra Service Professionals will perform both warranty and non-warranty service for CAIRE products from their facility in Berlin, Conn. This includes portable and stationary devices made by CAIRE, AirSep and SeQual, and covers devices in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Jersey.
The service company has had a relationship with CAIRE for some time, according to Miguel Cervantes, service manager for CAIRE.
“Altra has been performing non-warranty repairs
of our products for many years and were a natural fit to bring on board in support of our warranty repairs,” Cervantes noted. “They have experienced technicians who we’re confident will perform high quality repair work and represent CAIRE well.”
The relationship with CAIRE is important for both providers and customers in the region, according to Altra President and co-owner Robert DeChello
“In an industry where reimbursement continually shrinks, dealers are always looking for ways to cut costs without sacrificing quality of care,” he said. “This rela- tionship with CAIRE enables us to do this by providing exceptional training and processes so that we can provide efficient and affordable repair solutions.” n
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