Pharmacy groups praise delay of DME accreditation deadline
ALEXANDRIA, Va. Both the National Community Pharmacists Association and the National Association of Chain Drug Stores recently praised Senate and House action to extend durable medical equipment accreditation Medicare deadlines for pharmacies.
H.R. 3663 was introduced by Reps. Zach Space, D-Ohio, and Lee Terry, R-Neb., and passed the House by voice vote last week. The Senate then passed the House bill by unanimous consent on Monday.
The Medicare accreditation deadline was extended through the end of the year from a prior deadline of Sept. 30.
“In the debate over healthcare reform legislation, NACDS continues to advocate for an exemption for pharmacy from this accreditation requirement, as well as from the surety bond requirement - exemptions that have been afforded to other healthcare providers,” stated NACDS president and CEO Steven Anderson.
Stated Bruce Roberts, NCPA EVP and CEO, "The Senate acted wisely to ensure seniors can continue purchasing essential medical supplies from their community pharmacies. Without it, thousands of independent community pharmacies would be forced to stop supplying diabetes testing supplies and other products to their patients."
If signed into law by President Obama, H.R. 3663 would delay the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services deadline for pharmacies to obtain accreditation in order to furnish DME products, like diabetes testing supplies, to Medicare beneficiaries. Both the House and Senate have included provisions to exempt pharmacies from the accreditation requirement in their versions of health reform legislation.
According to NCPA, the DME accreditation requirements have proved to be onerous, expensive and duplicative for community pharmacists, who already must meet state licensing requirements. Pharmacists have not been associated with the fraud targeted by the regulations, NCPA argued, but are the only health care providers not yet exempted. For these reasons, securing an exemption for community pharmacies has been a top legislative priority for NCPA.
In addition to the legislation, 54 members of Congress also wrote a letter to acting CMS administrator Charlene Frizzera, requesting an immediate delay of the DME accreditation and $50,000 surety bond requirements for community pharmacies. The letter was led by Reps. Space, Marion Berry, D-Ark., Jo Ann Emerson R-Mo., and Jerry Moran, R-Kan..