This week, 33 national and state organizations wrote a letter to Congress, asking them to push forward a bill that would delay CMS' competitive bidding prices for medical devices in different geographical areas, according to Morning Consult.
Here are five things to know:
1. In the letter, the groups claim CMS's timeline for the rates is too "aggressive."
2. The House and Senate both have bills that would delay CMS' phase-in for the prices for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies.
3. CMS proposed the rates to serve Medicare beneficiaries, as the program applies mainly to suppliers in rural areas.
4. CMS' first phase was implemented in January and scheduled its final phase for July 1.
5. The 33 groups arguing for a delay include the Advanced Medical Technology Association, the National Association for the Support of Long Term Care and the National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology.
"Six months is not enough time to monitor disruption in Medicare beneficiaries' access to the [durable medical equipment] items they need and to evaluate what impact major reductions in payment have on their access to life-sustaining equipment and services," the groups wrote.
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