CMS Releases Draft Quality Standards for Home Medical Equipment, USA

Main Category: Caregivers / Homecare
Article Date: 25 Sep 2005 - 7:00 PDT

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CMS has released its Draft Quality Standards for Suppliers of Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS), developed with Abt Associates. The recommended quality standards can also be viewed under Advocacy Priorities / Restrictive Contracting at http://www.aahomecare.org.

The Medicare Modernization Act 2003 requires suppliers of durable medical equipment and other items and services to comply with quality standards established by the HHS in order to furnish any item or service for which payment is made under Medicare Part B, and to receive and retain a supplier billing number used to submit claims for reimbursement for any such item or service for which payment may be made under Medicare.

The draft standards will be posted on CMS websites, cms.hhs.gov/suppliers/dmepos/default.asp andcms.hhs.gov/suppliers/dmepos/compbid/default.asps sometime today (September 23, 2005).

CMS is providing a 60-day public comment beginning September 23, 2005 and ending November 28, 2005. Comments may be submitted to DMEPOS_Quality_Standards_Public_Comments@cms.hhs.gov.

Also, remember there will be a CMS Open Door Forum this Monday, September 26, 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. (ET), for CMS and Abt Associates to provide an overview of the draft proposal. This forum will be held with CMS leadership, policy specialists, and the CMS contractor, Abt Associates. To participate by phone, call 1-800-837-1935 and use conference ID number: 8914408.

The proposed quality standards include two sections. Section one covers business standards that apply to all suppliers and focus on standards for administration, financial management, human resource management, management of beneficiary services, performance management, equipment and safety, beneficiary rights and ethics, and information management. Section two covers product-specific service requirements that focus on the product specialization of the provider and details on provider service standards. AAHomecare will report on the PAOC meeting and Open Door next week.

Mobility Stakeholders Plan October 6 Fly-In to Discuss Policy and Access Concerns

Consumer, clinician, provider, and manufacturer stakeholders are planning an October 6 Congressional fly-in to Washington, DC to discuss critical mobility concerns. Recent CMS policy announcements for coding, coverage and documentation for power mobility devices may threaten beneficiary access to the power wheelchairs and scooters/POVs that are most appropriate for the consumer's medical needs.

The goal of the fly-in is to let Congress know that beneficiaries need medically appropriate policies that ensure access to the devices they need. Stakeholders are seeking a delay in implementation of these policies until at least April 1, 2006. Some of the organizations planning the event include the American Association for Homecare, the National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology (NCART) , the ITEM Coalition, the Restore Access to Mobility Partnership (RAMP), and United Spinal Association. The stakeholder organizations will provide more detail next week.

Michael Reinemer, VP, Communications
American Association for Homecare
625 Slaters Lane, Suite 200
Alexandria, VA 22314-1171 703-535-1881
http://www.aahomecare.org

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