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United States · Bill · S

S. 2312 (114th)

DME Access and Stabilization Act of 2015

referredUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

19 November 2015

Last action

19 November 2015 · Introduced

Status

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Sponsors

Sen. Thune, John [R-SD], Sen. Heitkamp, Heidi [D-ND], Sen. Roberts, Pat [R-KS], Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME], Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID], Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME], Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV], Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT], Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO], Sen. Ayotte, Kelly [R-NH], Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT], Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA], Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA], Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS], Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND], Sen. McCain, John [R-AZ], Sen. Barrasso, John [R-WY], Sen. Cochran, Thad [R-MS], Sen. Enzi, Michael B. [R-WY], Sen. Gardner, Cory [R-CO], Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD]

Subjects

Healthcare

Source updated

12 August 2025

Healthcare

Summary

DME Access and Stabilization Act of 2015 This bill amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to modify provisions relating to payment for durable medical equipment (DME) under the Medicare and Medicaid programs. (DME includes certain medically necessary equipment such as walkers, wheelchairs, and hospital beds.) With respect to DME furnished in areas that are not competitive acquisition areas, current regulations require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) to phase in, over a two-year period, Medicare payment adjustments using information from competitive acquisition programs. (Through such programs, payment amounts for each area are determined based on competitive bids submitted by suppliers, rather than according to an established fee schedule.) The bill codifies this requirement and specifies that CMS shall adjust fee schedule amounts to the lesser of: (1) a specified percentage of the regional amount; and (2) the amount that would otherwise be determined according to the fee schedule, with specified adjustments. In determining Medicare payment adjustments for areas that are not competitive acquisition areas, CMS shall solicit stakeholder input and take into account several specified factors. CMS may not establish a ceiling on competitive bids submitted for DME that is less than the amount that would otherwise be paid under Medicare. The Medicare Beneficiary Ombudsman shall evaluate the impact of the competitive acquisition program on beneficiary health status and health outcomes. The bill limits federal Medicaid reimbursement rates to states for DME to the rates that would be paid for such items under Medicare.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

  1. 19 November 2015

    Introduced

    Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

    Source: IntroReferral

  2. 19 November 2015

    Introduced

    Introduced in Senate

    Source: IntroReferral

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

Documents

3 official files

Introduced in Senate (text)

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  • Introduced in Senate (text)

    Introduced in Senate · EN · 19 November 2015

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

  • Introduced in Senate (PDF)

    Introduced in Senate · EN · 19 November 2015

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

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  • Introduced in Senate

    summary · EN · 19 November 2015

    Open at official source

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Sponsors

Related records

Sources

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