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Lawmakers Introduce Access to Medical Supplies Act to Protect Medicare Beneficiaries
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Key points
- Bipartisan lawmakers introduced the Access to Medical Supplies Act to pause Medicare competitive bidding on ostomy and urological supplies for five years.
- The bill creates an expert panel and a demonstration project to study how supply changes impact patient access.
- The American Association for Homecare endorsed the measure to ensure patients retain uninterrupted access to personalized medical items.
NewsWK — Federal lawmakers introduced bipartisan legislation to protect senior health care access across the country. On October 9, 2026, Representatives Greg Murphy, M.D., and Brad Schneider introduced new federal legislation. The Access to Medical Supplies Act shields specialized medical equipment from immediate federal pricing changes.
How would HR 10787 impact Medicare ostomy and urological supplies?
HR 10787 protects patient access by preventing rapid changes to Medicare ostomy and urological supplies distribution. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services previously planned to include these items in its Round 2028 bidding cycle. However, lawmakers fear competitive bidding could disrupt personalized supply deliveries to vulnerable patients.
Because these products require individual tailoring, abrupt supply shifts create significant care challenges for families. Therefore, federal lawmakers seek to halt federal plan expansion until health experts complete detailed safety evaluations.
What key provisions did Representative Greg Murphy introduce in the Access to Medical Supplies Act?
Representative Greg Murphy and Representative Brad Schneider proposed a five-year pause on competitive bidding. This legislative delay allows officials, home care providers, and consumer groups to analyze patient access. Additionally, the legislation creates a technical expert panel alongside a national demonstration project to test product delivery models.
The proposed legislation includes three major steps before CMS implements final pricing changes:
- A five-year pause on including ostomy and urological supplies in DMEPOS competitive bidding.
- The creation of a technical expert panel to evaluate patient care impact.
- A demonstration project to test supply delivery models prior to final decisions.
Why is a DMEPOS competitive bidding pause necessary for patients?
A DMEPOS competitive bidding pause gives regulators time to evaluate potential supply chain disruptions. Also, industry advocates welcomed the pause as a vital safeguard for vulnerable home care recipients. Tom Ryan said the bill allows officials “to study and test the impact on patients and providers.”
Consequently, stakeholders can ensure continuous access to customized medical items before federal rules take effect.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by our editorial team.
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Related: Congress Receives New Legislation Aimed at Local Health Care Protection
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