Discussion Forum

“I didn’t finish my recording a while ago.  You know it’s strange that the President and the ones involved, they can have wars in other countries and they fund the wars and they can cost them billions or trillions of dollars defending foreign countries and send American dollars to foreign countries everywhere, and it’s not wanting to help their own people, the elderly here in America. I don’t understand that at all. They can spend a … Continue Reading

“I called to tell you that I’m very displeased with the new law and it looks like they’re just avoiding or leaving behind all the elderly the way they’ve done.  Medicare, you know, has cut, Medicare out on the elderly.  I’m 79 years old my husband is 81 and I’m telling you it’s terrible, the law that they’re coming across with.  I wouldn’t do that to the elderly … Continue Reading

“I’m calling from Waterbury, Connecticut. My [???] and I just want to say that, for last couple of years, they’ve been top notch as far as I’m concerned. It’s bad enough now that they’re giving me generic drugs, now they probably to pass generic supplies onto me. And I think it is highly unfair, very unfair that what we got today, when we’re taking a back seat to something else now. Putting back [???] to being put back on the back burners again. So, when you get our age, I hope to G-d that you don’t … Continue Reading

“This is…at Cambridge Nebraska and I just wanted to voice my opposition to the competitive bidding law. So count me as being against it. Thank you.”

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“I live in Charlotte, North Carolina. I got a notification that I am using a durable medical equipment, I am using oxygen tanks. I have COPD and I use a company here in Charlotte called Hometown Oxygen. They have been just great. Every time I have needed something or something went wrong with the equipment, I had no problem at all. They helped me on the telephone to be able to fix it if it was … Continue Reading

“Good evening, good day. … I have an air machine and I have another machine. I am a diabetic patient. I have been trying to do everything that I possibly can to live a little longer because my health was really bad. I’ve been just to do everything I can to go on a little bit further. The people that bring me my [???] are very good people and they are nice people. And so I’m trying … Continue Reading

“I really don’t know what to tell you about this except that I’m on oxygen.  I depend on it.  I mean you really panic when you can’t get your breath.  These people are so good and so considerate, they immediately respond if you have a problem with anything, they there for any kind of advice or question.  You feel like you can call them with anything and there … Continue Reading

“I’m on Oxygen and my provider is a small company called Bethesda and I have been with them since 2004 and they have been very good and they supply and take care of my equipment at minimal charge because I’m Medicare, Medicaid and now I’m being told that I might lose them and I really do not want to. I still want to have the choice of who I have because I tried … Continue Reading

“I am calling to let you know that I am totally against the competitive bidding, [passes?] and law that’s been enacted. And I recent it because I will loose my freedom to chose my own medical equipment, my quality of service will be affected and I just wanted you to know that I would like to see this law abolished. Thank you very much, bye.”… Continue Reading

“I understand that a new law has been passed by Congress passed has been forcing people to use different home medical equipment suppliers and that the contract was given to low bidding suppliers, so the small businesses in the community that are providing the extra services at no charge for customers are not getting contacts. So we not going to be able to use them anymore. I have a breathing machine and the company that … Continue Reading

“Both my husband and I are wheelchair bound with many medical issues, his being terminal lung cancer. I’m not happy with this new ruling that may be passed called Competitive Bidding.  We experienced that once before where they made us change providers for all of our BiPAP equipment and the one that we were allowed to use or assigned to, or however you want to express it, was not good.  So fortunately that changed and … Continue Reading

“I would just like to let the Congressmen know that I am not happy with the new law that they have passed about…Congress was saying that they’re going in competitive bidding in my area of medical and medicine and I am not very happy about it because I’m happy with my Medicare people that are handling my stuff right now, such as J &L Medical Services for my CPAP.  I do not want to … Continue Reading

“My husband’s oxygen equipment and everything and I just want to say that we’re not very happy hearing about this competitive bidding. Okay. We don’t like the idea of that at all. So thank you.”

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[Editor’s Note:  The following call, although lengthy, provides a sense of the value beneficiaries can place on their supplier and how strongly they are concerned about competitive bidding.]

“I’m from East Chatham, Connecticut. I deal with J&L Medical Equipment in Middlebury, Connecticut for respiratory. I was on machines that kept me alive in the hospital and sent home and I’m still alive because this company… even when I’m… and when an emergency happens and something is wrong with the machine. This is a small company that has built itself up. It’s not a big major company and … Continue Reading

“…this competitive bidding on medical supply company is for the birds.  I’ve chose this company  to take care of me, my oxygen, all of my equipment that I have to have my nebulizers and they check on me regularly that the oxygen machine is running perfectly.  And I don’t want to change. I know the people, I like the people, they’re very, very helpful and considerate and I do not … Continue Reading

“I live in Norwalk Connecticut and I use J &L Medical Services out of Middlebury, Connecticut. I am very disappointed with what is going on in Washington in regards to our medical care. Having worked in a medical office for 33 years, it’s not what they telling us, it’s what they not telling us. They make it sound like it’s one big great birthday present to all of us. Well it is not. It’s disastrous. … Continue Reading

“I just received my CPAP mask, headgear and tubing and a little brochure telling me about competitive bidding. I am horrified that this is going to go out to bidding because I have had an experience where I was with one durable company and I wasn’t quite satisfied with them so I changed to the new one that I really, really like and I want to be able to go where I feel I get the … Continue Reading

“I’m just calling to say that my husband’s on oxygen and he’s very happy with the company he has and I don’t know why they want to make any changes at all.  I’m just very unhappy about hearing this.  We’re very sorry to hear it and we hope it does not change at all. Thank you.”… Continue Reading

“I have a brochure in front of me that tells me that Medicare patients will no longer be able to, will be forced to use a different home medical equipment supplier that was chosen by the US government because of a low bid. I happen to have a CPAP machine and I’m in Florida 7 months of the year and maybe 4-5 months of the year in Connecticut and I do get my CPAP from Connecticut … Continue Reading

“Good morning. I’m calling to protest the competitive bidding measure that is going to be passed by Congress for the different home medical equipment supplier. I’m very happy with the present supplier that I have. They provide me with good quality equipment. They’re very prompt and they are available at all times. I feel that a competitive bidder will go for cheaper, less effective equipment. Thank you.”… Continue Reading