Bid News Blog

Editor’s Note:  From a letter signed by 167 academicians including seveal Nobel laureates regarding CMS’ bidding program for DME: “Implementation of the current design will result in a failed government program.”

From: Pittsburgh Business Times

Kris B. Mamula

As home medical equipment suppliers prepare for the second round of Medicare’s competitive bidding in the Pittsburgh area, some small companies are continuing to protest the program.

AdvaCare Home Services Inc. President and CEO Tammy Zelenko testified in September before the House Committee on Small Business on the shortcomings of competitive bidding, which she called a “job killer.”

From: HME News

WASHINGTON – AAHomecare issued a “10-day challenge” yesterday to build momentum for H.R. 6490, a bill that would replace competitive bidding with a market-pricing program (MPP).

Over the next two weeks, the association will focus on several states each day to determine whether representatives in those states were co-sponsors of H.R. 1041, a bill introduced last year that would repeal competitive bidding, and whether they have signed on yet to co-sponsor H.R. 6490.

The first group of states in the spotlight: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas and Missouri. Iowa already has four of its five representatives signed on as co-sponsors of H.R. 6490.

From: HME News

by: Liz Beaulieu

GWCC – Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., the man of the hour in the industry’s fight against competitive bidding, made a plea for help on Tuesday.

Price in August introduced H.R. 6490, a bill that would replace the competitive bidding program with an industry-backed and economist-approved market-pricing program (MPP).

“When we come back Nov. 14, what would do my heart wonders is if there are 100 people lined up for H.R. 6490,” he said during a welcome reception hosted by MK Battery and Medtrade for the new Consumer Advocacy Pavilion on the show floor.

The Center for Regulatory Effectiveness (CRE) has provided OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) with massive and uncontradicted evidence demonstrating that the CMS competitive bidding program violated the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), see our comments to OMB here, our comments to CMS here, a peer reviewed analysis of the CMS program by CalTech researchers here, and a letter from over 240 economists to White House condemning the program here.

Washington, D.C., Sept. 27, 2012—Now that a bill, H.R. 6490, has been introduced in the House to enact the Market Pricing Program, we all need to line up support in the House and the Senate. While there is no companion bill in the Senate, it’s still important to talk to all lawmakers about the need to replace the existing bidding system.

In the weeks ahead leading up to the November elections, members of Congress who are up for reelection—and all candidates running against incumbents—should be particularly receptive to hearing specific recommendations from constituents. Please take the opportunity to speak with candidates for office (and their staff) at debates, town hall meetings or in meetings in their district offices.