* You are viewing the archive for October, 2009
“I’m calling in response to the competitive bidding law that was passed by Congress. My mother is 96 years old and she has to have oxygen, at least in the evening, at night. And I think as a result of this new law, the company that she deals with is not going to be able to continue to service her perhaps. She will lose the fact that she has 24 hour on … Continue Reading
“I’m very disappointed in you people passing competitive bidding means for medicare beneficiaries. I have oxygen delivered to me. I’m on oxygen 24 hours a day. I had 2 other lower price companies serve me for quite a while. I’m very disappointed, could not get service, when I needed. I’m with Bayonet Point Oxygen Service right now and they are beautiful people, they’re there when I … Continue Reading
“Yes, I’m calling to report that I’m very very unhappy with this new law and it’s affect on me. And what it’s going to do to me physically and spiritually and mentally with this competitive bidding. I’m in a hospital bed in my own home trying to learn how to walk again. I have a bariatric wheel chair. I have an oxygenater in my home for COPD. I’m on constant oxygen and now I’m receiving information … Continue Reading
“My mother is 97 years old she’s on oxygen and a CPAP and found out information and even for a long time that the company that she uses may not be contracted with because of the Government, some kind of regulation and this company is absolutely amazing. None of the other companies do for her what this company Antelope Valley Pulmonary does. So please give it to the Government officials, we are … Continue Reading
“I am a heart patient. I have CHF, heart failure. I am very careful about what I eat so that I can keep the food down in my body. I get as much low sodium, what some people say is salt-free, which is impossible, but a low sodium product, you know, to take care of. Well anyway, I don’t know how I got this CRE pamphlet and I was amazed to know about this new law … Continue Reading
“I’m a spinal cord T – eleven, T- twelve who just recently broke her femur almost up to my hip joint. I have been dealing with Wilmington Medical Supply for my wheelchair tires. Also more importantly my urological supplies. I have a longstanding relationship with them even though they there are in North Carolina. They are exquisitely good… They keep up their paperwork for Medicare. I have to use not just any urological bag. I have to use specialized one I have been in this chair for 25 years. …
I do not want Competitive Bidding because I just don’t want … Continue Reading
“I purchase and had medical supplies given to me by T B Medical Supplies, a small family owned business in Linken Park and because of what is going on with health care, they could lose their right to supply medical supplies. They are very important to someone like me who for a while was bedridden and they brought the supplies to my house in the evening and they were able to transfer supplies that came from … Continue Reading
“I am calling to let you know that I oppose the new law in competitive bidding. My son is severely disabled and we have a company in Columbus Ohio that is, just been fantastic and I’m very concerned about that this new law is going to put good service out of business. So please note my opposition to competitive bidding. Thank you. Bye.”… Continue Reading
I am a 65 year old women and I am against Obama’s health care because I have one leg and I depend on a prosthetic. I have been an amputee for forty years. When I lost my leg they did not have the technology they have today. My first prosthetic weighed about 9 lb. and I weighed about 90 lb. and I couldn’t walk on my leg without crutches because my prosthetic was to heavy for me, that caused me a lot of problems and I went through several surgeries because of it. The point I am trying to make … Continue Reading
“I live in Kinderhook, New York, and I’m disabled, and I rely on a motorized wheel chair. I receive service for my wheel chair through Monroe wheel chair and sometimes my wheel chair breaks down, I can be just completely stranded at home, and I can’t, you know get the chair to move, and it’s really important, that I have a service provider, who can come to my home, when I’m unable to drive … Continue Reading
“I have Greene Respiratory in Milford Ohio as my oxygen people and I don’t want the government people messing with that. I am doing just fine with Greene’s Respiratory, they have been very kind to me, very good to me. They gave me oxygen when I couldn’t afford it, when I wasn’t even on MediCare, or Medicaid or anything and I needed it and I couldn’t afford it and these people have … Continue Reading
“I am calling to protest the new law passed by Congress to force to use a different home medical equipment supplier, instead of one chosen by the government. I have very good service from my home medical supplier and I am very happy with that, and I would be very unhappy if I have to let the government decide who I may or may not choose to service my medical equipment at home…. Continue Reading
It has come to my attention that the United States Government is attempting to require all medical home equipment providers engage in a competitive bidding process in order to provide medical equipment to patients.
I AM AGAINST THIS TYPE OF ACTIVITY. As a Medicare recipient I have been paying into the system for a number of years and do not appreciate the idea of our government interfering with a program that is successful now and has been successful for a number of years. When will BIG BROTHER stop trying to interfere with successful programs and start paying attention … Continue Reading
“I am currently utilizing a concentrator for oxygen. I use oxygen 24 hours a day, 7 days a week because I have a rare lung disease know as PAH Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. Without the use of this oxygen equipment I would not be able to survive on a daily basis. I understand that Government is trying to take over home medical equipment suppliers by requesting that they submit a bid which means I will be getting … Continue Reading
“I am calling in reference to the competitive bidding on Home Care Supplies. I am not in favour of just competitive bidding and not taking quality into consideration. If you go for the lowest bidder, most of the time you do not get quality products or quality service. I am 67 years old, I have worked for the Federal Government. I know how unproductive competitive bidding can be unless you have some guidelines for quality supplies … Continue Reading
“Yes I’m very upset over this letter I got from Personal Care talking about Congress had passed a new law saying that we might have to go to wherever they decide we go for serving MediCare beneficiaries. This is wrong. This is free America and I’ve lived in a free country for 77 years. I am now disabled and need the benefits that we receive from every place we get them ’cause even to the point … Continue Reading
“Well, I am on constant tube feeding. I have to have it, and the place that gives it to me is OK with me, and I cannot understand why supposedly Congress, or whoever’s trying to change all of this. I suppose they’ve got all they need, so the heck with us. Thank you. “… Continue Reading
“I have been diagnosed with cancer. I’m also a diabetic. I have hypertension. I am 68 years old and I have neuropathapy in my hands and my feet. I have been blessed with getting a lift chair that I can keep my feet elevated and I’ve also been blessed to have hand rails placed in my home so I can go up and down the stairs without any complications of falling. They have placed in my … Continue Reading
“It seems that everything we have and have had for a long time and is a wonderful working plan is now being dumped somewhere. Anyway. I don’t want to change my plan that I have for monitoring me in my home and I have been with this company many years now and I’m an old lady. I’m 89 years old. I don’t like all these changes. Please leave things alone.”… Continue Reading
“I’m calling in regards to Congress’ proposed bill of competitive bidding for Medicare beneficiaries and I would definitely be against that simply because you end up with a monopoly or a congressman’s buddy gets the bid and you end up with lousy care because once you become a monopoly you could care less what happens to the consumer because you answer to nobody. Just like AIG and the banks and everybody else and I would definitely … Continue Reading
“Okay, I’m glad to have this opportunity to register my concerns about the creation of another federal bureaucracy to do bidding on something that we don’t want bidding done. I am on oxygen, I have been for 4, 5 years now, and my local company, Boardman Medical Supply, has done everything right and does everything well and it’s a local company, owned by local people and I really don’t want to try to deal … Continue Reading
I am writing to voice my displeasure at this new law.
I am very satisfied with my medical equipment supply
Company, Boardman Medical Supply, Girard, Ohio.
I do not wish to be told who I can have. My family has
Used this facility for over 20 years and they do an
Excellent job. I have no complaints about them.
Their service is superior and I do not want a big box
Operation serving my family’s needs.
Thank you.
I’m an LPN. I was just calling to let you know that it’s very vital that these patients receive their oxygen. I have patients that live on Bon Air Mountain, it’s part of Tennessee, who receive oxygen from Pro Air Respiratory Services. We’ve had patients on Hospice. I even have a mother who personally needed oxygen at home, that couldn’t function without her oxygen at home. This is … Continue Reading
“I’m a Vietnam veteran. I fought for freedom. Why am I losing my freedom to choose where I want my medical supplies and how to use it. I need my supplier at Medox in hometown because just close for me and I am in a wheelchair. Please, help me and help all the other people and veterans. Thank you.”… Continue Reading
“I’m calling to say we are very unhappy with this new law and it’s effect on my husband’s physical and mental health. He is on a Concentrator every day, and when he’s not on it, when we go somewhere, he’s on Liquid Oxygen. I think it’s terrible what the Government is doing, trying to control our whole life, and this new health care is full of balony and so is the President, and I wish to … Continue Reading
“To whom it may concern. I am an 82-year old woman who is been in oxygen since 1994. I have lung cancer and presently being treated at a cancer institute because the cancer has spread to the last viable lobe in my lungs. Oxygen is what’s keeping me alive and for you to cut me off and put me in a position to where I can’t afford it. I mean, you are … Continue Reading
“To whom this may concern, which is probably somebody in the government, they’ve probably never made a buck in her life, except working for the government. We’re just Medicare recipients of oxygen, for a situation where my wife’s lungs are totally deteriorated. I spent 4 years in the service, in the Korean War, and now the shift has taken place, it’s worse, and it’s unbelievable. You know as well as I do, if you go on a bid basis for … Continue Reading
From Watchdog Watch
At least three different serious concerns have been raised regarding the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS’) competitive bidding program for home medical equipment.
First, the Center for Regulatory Effectiveness (CRE) has received allegations against the third-party organizations that accredit medical equipment suppliers. Among the charges are that one of the accrediting organizations is cutting corners on the accreditation process, possibly with CMS’ knowledge and consent. CRE is undertaking their own investigation of the allegations.
Second, about 90% of home medical equipment supply companies are small businesses. Many firms have expressed concern that the competitive bidding program … Continue Reading
“I’m 84 years old and I’ve been getting diabetic shoes and other diabetic things to help me, like walkers and that. And I can’t see. Another thing that the government has to stick their nose in. We have our own special people that we go to. We know what they do. We know how they can help us. Why did they have to come … Continue Reading
“I’m calling today because I’m very, very upset. I have been on home oxygen for a couple years and the first year was a nightmare experience, they never brought me new canulas. They never came and serviced the concentrator and about 6 months ago I finally got connected to a good company that supplies me with liquid oxygen, a small tank that I can carry with me, so I can continue to live my life like … Continue Reading
“Yeah, I’d been receiving your durable medical quotes for a few years now, and this new change that they’re on about, the competitive bidding, easily winds up with the big companies out bidding little companies, because they’re much bigger, and they got bigger resources, and soon the little companies go out of business….”
As the president of a Boston based respiratory company I would quickly
like to share a few issues in regards to the completely irrational
decisions that CMS has made:
1. We had a capped patient at MGH who wanted to spend her last months
living with her daughter in Virginia. We couldn’t find a provider in that
section of Virginia wiling to service her. She spent 3 extra nights at
MGH and ultimately we had to UPS her concentrator to her daughters house
in Virginia.
2. A small DME company in Mass is deciding not to continue in … Continue Reading
yesterday i recieved a call from an elderly oxygen patient who is on high
flow oxygen to his trach. his patient owned suction machine was not
working properly and he called me for help. i was at his house in 15
minuets and quickly fixed the problem with no charge to him or medicare.
he was my oxygen patient and asked for my help because he choose our
company based on our reputation and proximity to him, in case he would
need exactly the type of assistance that he needed yesterday. When this
law goes into effect he may or … Continue Reading
Is it true that our DME can be accredited while we wait on our site survey? Was it not mandated by CMS to have a site survey, before we could become accredited?
Thank you,
Editor’s Note: CRE encourages readers to respond to questions.
Per MIPAA legislation, CMS had to remove Group 3 Complex Power Wheelchairs from Competitive Bidding. Standard Power Mobility, including scooters (POVs) and all Group 1 and 2 Power WCs are still included. But rather than bidding this Power Mobility Group as one category, CMS has created 2 separate bid categories.
Look closely at the Power Wheelchairs in the new ‘Complex Group 2’ category: the total utilization for the wheelchair base codes in the CBAs, as reported by CMS, was 173 chairs. AND this includes a highly suspect reporting of ‘1’ chair per code per CBA or most of the codes; causing … Continue Reading
Our arguments demonstrating the shortcomings in the CMS competitive bidding program will be more forceful if our DME argments are supplemented by the negative impact on providing diabetic supplies.
Please send additional arguments along the line of the comment submitted below.
CRE
This must pass the senate or 1000’s of pharmacies and many more 1000’s of seniors will suffer. A pharmacist can dispense the most regulated items in the world like schedule 2 narcotics but can’t sell a box of diabetic test strips that sits out on the counter with no restrictions.While psychologist’s, speech pathologist’s,
dietitians, social workers and physical therapist’s are exempt. Pharmacists are still the most trusted and available heath care professionals there are. The seniors who suffer should know the congress controlled democrats truly failed them if Pharmacies are’nt given an extension and then exempted. Mike Williams P.D.
Webster City, Iowa
“this competitive bidding, I think it stinks myself. This is terrible. All you got to do, is knock this little guys, right out of business, and they’re the ones who give us the service, and they’re the ones who’s save or keep our lives going.”
HomeCare Magazine
Oct 1, 2009 10:28 AM
Susanne Hopkins
WASHINGTON — Just hours before the implementation of mandatory DMEPOS accreditation, the already chaotic situation exploded Wednesday with actions on the part of CMS, the Center for Regulatory Effectiveness and even Congress itself that threw into question the deadline, onsite surveys and indeed, the whole program.
Based on “an avalanche” of posts on its Web site that took issue with the accreditation program and said it would force thousands of providers to close, the CRE announced it was launching an investigation of the program.
“I’m one of the people who gets home care oxygen. I’m 90 years old, and my man brings the oxygen tanks, the oxygen, and helps me watch my breathing and my oxygen content. And if that law passes, I will die because I will be unable to handle the tubing and the oxygen….”
September 30, 2009
Active bill in Congress
H.R. 3663: To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to delay the date on which the accreditation requirement under the Medicare Program applies to suppliers of durable medical equipment that are pharmacies.
I guess pharmacies are a special group. What about the rest of us?
Where are the lobbyist for the locally owned and operated DME suppliers?
www.govtrack.us
