Tag: Bid Reform

WASHINGTON - A CMS proposed rule that, among other things, outlined changes to the competitive bidding program drew 514 comments by a Sept. 10 deadline. “This is an incredible leap from last week, when we reported 216 submissions,” VGM stated in a bulletin. “These comments are crucial to demonstrating the need for additional relief for the non-rural areas among the other areas where CMS fell short in their proposals.” The comments, which are public, can be read here. In...

SAN FRANCISCO - Add the Pacific Research Institute to the long list of economists and researchers who believe CMS's current competitive bidding program for HME is inefficient at best and dangerous at worst.PRI's study, “Reforming CMS' Competitive Bidding Process to Improve Quality and Sustainability,” borrows on the work of Peter Cramton, an economist and outspoken critic of the program, and research firms like Dobson DaVanzo & Associates.“Medicare patients are receiving lower quality...

WASHINGTON - Stakeholders met with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and other key lawmakers last week to make their case for including language from H.R. 4229 in an omnibus spending bill.“We met with McConnell and laid out all the issues,” said Tom Ryan, president and CEO of AAHomecare, who attended the meeting—one of several with the Kentucky congressional delegation last week—along with Jason Orr, president of the Kentucky Medical Equipment Suppliers Association,...

WASHINGTON - Industry stakeholders are urging providers to gather as many original co-sponsors as they can for a bill expected to drop in November that would provide relief for non-bid areas. Last week, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., released draft language for the bill, which would roll back a portion of the reimbursement cuts that went into effect in non-bid areas in 2016 and address a “double dip” cut to oxygen reimbursement. Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa, has signed on to be...