Bipartisan Zinke Bill to Preserve Patient Access & Lower Costs for Medical Equipment Passes House
Press Release
Yesterday, the House of Representatives unanimously passed Rep. Ryan Zinke's bill, HR5210, the Patient Access to Durable Medical Equipment Act. This legislation would provide relief to durable medical equipment (DME) providers in non-competitively bid areas, like rural Montana, for a 3-month period. DME is any equipment that provides therapeutic benefits to a patient in need because of certain medical conditions and/or illnesses, including wheelchairs, blood sugar monitors and test strips, canes, crutches, infusion pumps and supplies, nebulizers and nebulizer medications, oxygen equipment and accessories, sleep apnea and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices and accessories, and suction pumps.
Currently, DME cuts are scheduled to be implemented July 1, 2016. An extension of the current phase-in is necessary to avert deep cuts in reimbursement for rural services. When rural providers have to close their doors because the money received for their goods and services will no longer cover the costs, another service gap is created. Rural Montanans who rely on these products will no longer have a local option, forcing them to travel to the larger cities for care.
"Healthcare costs are already too high. I'm extremely grateful to see this bill to help ease costs pass the House with such strong support," said Zinke. "Too often Washington forces one-size-fits-all policies that harm rural Montanans. After hearing the input from my Advisory Committee in Montana, I was proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill to provide real relief to Montana's medical service and equipment providers, and in turn patients. I will continue to fight for a long-term solution to the problem of skyrocketing healthcare costs.
Since coming to Congress, Representative Zinke has established a Healthcare Advisory Committee to provide a Montana perspective for healthcare decisions being made in Washington. This committee meets regularly and provides in-depth expertise on this issues facing Montana's.
Source