On July 1 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) slashed reimbursement rates for durable medical equipment by upwards of 60 percent as a part of the competitive bidding program.

As a result, many sectors across the health care industry have felt the aftershock, specifically in rural America. For seniors and individuals with disabilities and chronic conditions in less-populated areas, home medical equipment providers play a major role in reducing hospitalizations and long-term facility stays. However, Medicare’s unsustainable prices do not take into account the additional costs of servicing this patient population.

Without enough funding to cover these costs, trusted home medical equipment companies are being forced to change their service policies, reduce their product offerings, decide whether or not they can accept new Medicare patients or shut their business entirely, leaving patients and caregivers in rural America burdened by the consequences.

The Impact of Competitive Bidding on Hospitals

The Impact of Competitive Bidding on Hospitals Hospitals in rural America are facing a number of challenges as a result of Medicare’s funding cuts, including:

• A higher level of patient readmissions
• Difficulty discharging Medicare patients as access to trusted home medical equipment providers decreases

“In our area, there is only one provider who is taking Medicare patients in need of a nebulizer,” Nicki, a nurse case manager in Davis, California, commented to advocacy group, People for Quality Care. “I am having a lot of difficulty getting medical equipment.”

These problems will continue to persist without action from people like you.

Help Us Combat Medicare Cuts!

Since the beginning of the year, many hospital administrators have spoken out regarding Medicare’s actions, but many more are needed. The next few weeks are critical to getting legislative relief before irreversible harm continues. Help combat Medicare cuts by asking your hospital executives to take the following actions:

1. Copy and paste this letter onto your letterhead, and send to your U.S. senators.*
2. Copy and paste this letter onto your letterhead, and send to your U.S. representative.*
3. Send a message to Congress via the VGM Action Center.

*If you would prefer to have VGM Government Relations team send your letters, they would be happy to do so. Email them to Emily Harken at Emily.harken@vgm.com.

VGM Government Relations | VGM Action Center | 800-642-6065