Urgent Advocacy Needed: Extend 75/25 Blended Rate Relief

Published in Government Relations on February 22, 2024

As Senate and House leaders are continuing their efforts to secure funding beyond March 2024, the importance of the 75/25 blended-rate provision is becoming increasingly apparent. Under the current Continuing Resolution, the DMEPOS rates dropped on average 30% Jan. 1, 2024. There is a lot of work being done actively to get it included in an upcoming spending package, but we need your help!

We NEED every leader within our industry to personally contact healthcare staffers for your Senators and Representatives about S. 1294 and H.R. 5555. When you do, please request that they reach out in their respective leaders to support the inclusion of DMEPOS relief in non-rural areas within the next funding legislative package.

TAKE ACTION S. 1294               TAKE ACTION H.R. 5555

Extending the 75/25 blended rate not only benefits non-CBA, non-rural suppliers, but it also has broader implications:

• Medicaid Rates: States that use Medicare rates as a guideline will benefit.
• TRICARE and Private Payers: These rates influence other payers as well.

Furthermore, advocating for this relief reinforces the message to CMS that a long-term, market-based solution for Medicare ratemaking in the HME sector is crucial.

Even if you have already reached out to your legislator, we ask that you do so again! For an easy way to reach out to your legislator, please visit our action center.

If you would like to learn more about this bill, please click here. While the key committees continue to work through bill priorities, we need your congressperson to stand up for you and for your clients to ensure that our bills are passed and that services can continue.

Let’s be Champions of Change to make sure that congressional leaders understand the urgency of this issue. Together, we can secure the relief our industry needs.