[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 110 (Friday, July 8, 2016)]
[House]
[Page H4552]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        PATIENT ACCESS TO DURABLE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT ACT OF 2016

  (Mr. CARTER of Georgia asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the House 
on the passage of H.R. 5210, which it passed this week. This 
legislation provides relief to durable medical equipment providers in 
competitively bid areas until October 1, 2017. Competitive bidding was 
created by the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003.
  H.R. 5210 extends the current phase-in of competitively bid DME 
prices to noncompetitively bid areas. This is vital to ensure that 
Congress has enough time to monitor current phase-in of 
noncompetitively bid DME prices and their effect in rural areas.
  In January of 2016, the competitive bidding program began its 
nationwide rollout, and, as a result, many areas, including rural 
areas, saw a significant cut in prices, which is now jeopardizing 
access to durable medical equipment for many beneficiaries.
  The First Congressional District of Georgia has numerous durable 
medical device companies that provide services throughout all of 
southeast Georgia. With many parts of my district being rural 
communities, evidence suggests that the current structure of CMS' 
proposed pricing of DMEs would significantly harm these communities. 
That is why H.R. 5210 is so important.
  I commend my Georgia colleague, Representative Price, for offering 
this bill, and I commend my House colleagues for passing this measure.
  I encourage the Senate to begin consideration of this measure so 
rural beneficiaries in need of durable medical equipment are not unduly 
harmed by CMS' proposals.

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