LAFAYETTE, La., April 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Viemed Healthcare, Inc. (the “Company” or “Viemed”) (TSX: VMD.TO and NASDAQ:VMD), a home medical equipment supplier that provides post-acute respiratory care services in the United States, announced that it supports the recent decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), due to the novel COVID-19 pandemic, to remove non-invasive ventilators (NIV) from the next round of the Competitive Bidding Program (CBP) that was expected to begin in 2021, as the Company believes that the inclusion of this life saving device in the program could have had a negative outcome on patient care that is predicated on frequent and substantial service.
The Company had prepared for the CBP over the last year, and had submitted bids in a majority of the areas around the country. The Company will continue its existing expansion plan to provide this critical therapy to as many patients as possible around the country.
“We are excited to see CMS make many changes during the recent pandemic that we believe will have a positive impact on patient care,” said Casey Hoyt, Viemed CEO. “We are extremely pleased with the recent announcement from CMS to remove NIV from the competitive bidding program which preserves the reimbursement needed for our Company to continue investing in patient care. We believe this clearly signals the need to properly reimburse for clinicians to provide frequent and substantial service in the home for respiratory patients in order to prevent another hospital surge. This is a major win for Viemed’s patients as we will have the resources to continue developing more critical care solutions aimed at improving patient quality of life."