WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley is a co-sponsor of bipartisan legislation that would help preserve Medicare beneficiary access to necessary medical equipment such as oxygen, blood glucose monitors, and sleep apnea machines in rural areas.
“Medical care ought to be both affordable and accessible,” Grassley said. “We’re seeing the unintended consequences of a poorly implemented program by this administration. In trying to implement policies in the name of saving Medicare money, the Obama Administration didn’t adequately consider the concerns of older Americans in rural areas. We need to get the reimbursement policy right for rural America before we expand the program even further.”
Grassley said that because of Medicare’s new reimbursement policies, he’s heard from Iowans about how they’ve had to drive farther and wait longer for oxygen and medical equipment than before. Grassley signed on to the Patient Access to Durable Medical Equipment Act of 2016, which would extend the most recent payment phase-in period of six months to 15 months. This is necessary for the suppliers of durable medical equipment to adjust to new reimbursement policies. Smart, bipartisan policies like this, by protecting access to home medical equipment, may allow people to return to their homes after hospitalization and in some cases, avoid hospitalization, Grassley said.
Grassley also is a cosponsor of the bipartisan Durable Medical Equipment Access and Stabilization Act (S. 2312), which would make structural changes to the payment policy to protect equipment access for those who need it.
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