CMS Announces Medicare Part B Premium, Deductible Increases for 2026 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that the standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B enrollees will be $202.90 in 2026. The annual deductible for all Medicare Part B beneficiaries will be $283. That’s an increase of $17.90 for the monthly…
Briefly: CMS Announces Medicare Part B Premium, Deductible; New Mobility Seeks a Print Return
Study Calculates First-Year Costs for Newly Diagnosed ALS Medicare Beneficiaries
New ALS patients had higher costs for acute care, prescription medications and durable medical equipment.
A new study has revealed the financial costs for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the first year after diagnosis. The research led by the ALS Association and published in the October edition of The American Journal of Managed Care said the average Medicare beneficiary diagnosed with ALS racked up first-year medical expenses of…
Medicare Changes to 5-Year PMD Prior Authorization Rule: Inside the Clinician Task Force Response to CMS
CTF Executive Director Tamara Kittelson said clinical assessments directly impact wheelchair provision outcomes.
Are you exactly the same person today — physically, cognitively, task wise — as you were five years ago? That’s the basic and critical question behind the Clinician Task Force’s (CTF) recent letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) concerning CMS’s recent change to the Medicare five-year replacement rule for prior authorization…
AAHomecare Shares Proposed Rule Comments on DMEPOS Competitive Bidding, Accreditation
The public comment period closed Aug. 29.
The American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) has submitted its comments on Medicare competitive bidding and accreditation recommendations in the calendar year 2026 home health proposed rule. AAHomecare addressed its 45-page list of comments to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz, M.D., on Aug. 27. Competitive bidding proposals in conflict with executive…
AAHomecare: Proposed Rule’s Competitive Bidding Plan an ‘Asteroid’ Heading for DME Industry
CMS is taking public comments on its proposed Medicare competitive bidding process till Aug. 29.
The home health proposed rule’s plans for the resumption of Medicare competitive bidding for durable medical equipment (DME) is an “asteroid” whose impact would be devastating for home medical equipment (HME) providers and the patients they support. Tom Ryan, the CEO/president for the American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare), made that comment during an Aug. 6…
AAHomecare: HHS 2026 Plans Include Resuming Medicare Competitive Bidding Program
Competitive bidding is currently in a “gap” period.
Newly released information from the Department of Health & Human Services’ (HHS) 2026 includes plans to restart the Medicare competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment, the American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) said in a June 3 bulletin. AAHomecare said the information was included in the HHS Budget in Brief document that discusses the department’s…
Commentary: Dr. Oz Wants Prevention? He Should Embrace CRT
Complex Rehab Technology could be a cost-effective investment for the new CMS administrator.
After his first week as the new administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Mehmet Oz, M.D., shared four goals that embody the “Make America Healthy Again” mandate of President Donald Trump. Here’s #4: “Shifting the paradigm for health care from a system that focuses on sick care to one that fosters…
CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz Spells Out Medicare, Medicaid Priorities
Oz has been tasked with fulfilling the Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda.
After his first week as the new administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Mehmet Oz, M.D., has listed his priorities for the Department of Health & Human Services’ largest agency. In an April 10 press release, Oz referenced President Donald Trump’s mandate to “Make America Healthy Again.” “Great societies protect their…
Poll: Medicare, Medicaid Remain Hugely Popular as Trump Administration Takes Over
A large majority of respondents believe health care will become less affordable in the next few years.
Results of a new poll conducted by KFF (formerly the Kaiser Family Foundation) show that a large majority of Americans have favorable views of Medicare and Medicaid, regardless of political party affiliation. While President Donald Trump’s incoming administration and a new Congress have discussed slashing Medicaid funding —reporting this month from Politico mentioned potentially $2.3…
Commentary: CRT As Prevention? What a Concept!
A new report published by VGM & Associates suggests Medicare competitive bidding has run its course.
A new report, authored by Brian Leitten of Leitten Consulting and published by VGM & Associates, contends that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has taken the wrong perspective of durable medical equipment (DME) for at least for the last two decades. The 2003 Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act gave rise…