Date: April 21, 2025
Open letter to the Oklahoma DME industry.
The winter and spring of 2025 have been busy seasons for OMEPA board members and a few of our non-board members. OMEPA has actively worked with the new freshman State Senators and Representatives, establishing new industry networks, and working with the Oklahoma US Congress and the Senate on the bills for President Trump’s new administration.
OMEPA 2025 Events for the first half of this year:
On February 6, 2025, OMEPA members and VGM met with US Sen. Langford’s staff in Oklahoma City and held Zoom meetings with his Tulsa and Washington, DC offices simultaneously. The Senator’s staff members, Estela Hernandez and Cambridge Neal, assisted us during the discussion as we requested the senator’s support for two bills coming up in Washington, DC later this spring. Later, the following week, Sen. Langford’s office followed up with a statement that the Senator would work with us and champion our bill on DME for our industry in Washington, DC, later this year.
After Sen. Langford’s meeting, we traveled to Tulsa to meet with US Rep. Hern’s staff and then with US Sen. Mullin’s staff regarding discussions over the 75/25 rates for non-rural areas and their need for support on these bills in Washington, DC. All three meetings concluded with an expectation of their support for our industry.
OMEPA 2025 Presentation at the Medtrade:
From February 17th to 20th, 2025, OMEPA participated in the AAHomecare and State Leadership booth, providing an opportunity to educate and engage in person with our Oklahoma OMEPA members and potential new members. At this event, OMEPA showcased its accomplishments over the past nine years by submitting three bills to the state of Oklahoma, all of which have been approved and signed into law. In addition to these three bills, OMEPA supported two other bills that impacted the state and were signed into law. OMEPA has achieved something that not many state associations have been able to accomplish over the past nine years. A prime example of OMEPA teamwork throughout our state.
OMEPA 2025 State Leaders Summit in Waterloo, Iowa
The OMEPA 2025 State Leaders Summit, held on April 1st and 2nd, 2025, created anticipation for activities focused on the growth of state associations. Key highlights included communications, roundtable discussions, and insights from CMS and VGM senior leaders. The summit concluded with inspiring ideas about how state associations can help develop and strengthen our industry’s needs and purposes at the state and federal levels. The grassroots of our industry must remain consistently engaged with leadership to promote fairness and accountability within the Medicare system.
OMEPA 2025 State Capital Meetings in Oklahoma City, OK
The OMEPA 2025 State Capital meeting, held on April 16, 2025, was highly productive, fostering communication and exploring the potential introduction of a new bill in 2026. This bill aims to establish a floor rate for Medicaid reimbursement that aligns with Medicare’s rates and requirements. The morning began with OMEPA hosting a buffet breakfast for State Senators and Representatives, providing an opportunity for one-on-one discussions. Following breakfast, attendees broke into smaller groups to meet new freshman senators and representatives throughout the state capitol building while reconnecting with previous contacts.
Our industry must advocate for the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) to implement a permit reimbursement schedule consistent with Medicare standards. Achieving this goal before the upcoming OHCA Managed Care contracts for bidding in 2028 is crucial. This effort aims to reestablish reimbursement rates for all state reimbursements in Oklahoma’s Durable Medical Equipment (DME) industry. Other states have successfully enacted legislation to accomplish similar goals.
Additional UPDATES regarding OMEPA Board Members:
The OMEPA Board is adjusting with new board members and officers, as several previous board members have retired or resigned.
The current 2025 voting members of the OMEPA Board are as follows:
1 Larry Dalton, OMEPA President
2 Victor Clay, OMEPA VP
3 Larry Jantzan, OMEPA Treasurer, has replaced Randy Taylor
4 Lindsey Ketcham, OMEPA Secretary, has replaced Vanessa Kehl.
5 Randy Taylor, voting board member
6 Zachary Hall, voting board member
7 Kelly Kicklighter, voting board member,
The participation with the OMEPA Board Members, who are non-voting members:
1 Jennifer Martin, OMEPA’s Director of Event Committees
2 Gary Duncan, OMEPA’s Director of Communication
3 Julie Jernigan, OMEPA’s Lobbyist
4 Mike Isaacson, OMEPA’s Vendor Advisor from VGM
5 Scott Pfeiffer, OMEPA’s Vendor Advisor from Medline
6 Jennifer Switzer, OMEPA’s Vendor Advisor from
7 John Gallagher, OMEPA’s honorary lifetime member.
We will continue championing unity, fairness, openness, and accountability, driving positive change throughout our industry.
Thank you, and as always, it’s a pleasure servicing OMEPA.
Larry Dalton, OMEPA Pres.