DMEPOS Relief Act of 2025
The DMEPOS Relief Act of 2025 would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to adjust Medicare payments for durable medical equipment (DME) that were previously set under the 2021 round of the DMEPOS competitive bidding program. The bill primarily creates a transitional pathway to ease or postpone certain price adjustments in Medicare payments. Specifically, it requires applying the transition rule for non-rural, noncontiguous areas through December 31, 2025, and postpones another related transition for all areas until January 1, 2026. The Secretary would have flexibility to implement these changes by program instruction. In short, the bill aims to provide temporary relief for how DME payments are updated under the DMEPOS bidding framework, delaying deeper or nationwide changes through the end of 2025 (and into 2026 for the broader stage).
Key Points
- 1The bill is titled the “DMEPOS Relief Act of 2025” and concerns Medicare payment adjustments for items formerly included in Round 2021 of the DMEPOS competitive bidding program.
- 2For areas that are not rural or noncontiguous, the Secretary must apply the transition rule described in 42 CFR 414.210(g)(9)(v) to all applicable DMEPOS items through December 31, 2025.
- 3The implementation of the subsequent nationwide transition rule described in 42 CFR 414.210(g)(9)(vi) is postponed; it cannot take effect until January 1, 2026.
- 4The Secretary can implement these provisions by program instruction or other methods, providing administrative flexibility.
- 5The bill would be in effect for the 119th Congress and was introduced in March 2025 by Rep. Miller-Meeks (with several co-sponsors) and referred to the relevant committees (Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means).