Reps. Brad Schneider (D-IL) and David McKinley (R-WV) have just introduced legislation to prevent Medicare reimbursement cuts to healthcare providers through the duration of the COVID public health emergency. The Medicare Sequester COVID Moratorium Act (H.R. 8840) would continue a pause of 2% Medicare sequester cuts through the duration of the public health emergency. In March, Congress halted the 2% sequester cuts through Dec. 31, 2020.
Suspending the 2% Medicare sequester cut has been especially helpful to the home medical equipment community, given significant rate reductions our industry has faced over the past decade.
In mid-November, AAHomecare joined a coalition of 34 major medical groups calling on Capitol Hill to extend this relief for the duration of the COVID-19 PHE. Now that Congress has responded with legislation, we urge HME suppliers and stakeholders to contact their legislators in support of H.R. 8840/The Medicare Sequester COVID Moratorium Act.
Please contact your legislators and ask that they urge House and Senate leaders to include this policy in a legislative package before the end of the year. You can also send a message using AAHomecare’s Action Center.
Contact Ashley Plauché at ashleyp@aahomecare.org or Gordon Barnes at gordonb@aahomecare.org at the American Association for Homecare or Kam Yuricich at kam@oames.org at OAMES if you need contact information for healthcare staffers for your Senators or Representatives or for other assistance in engaging your legislators.