Discussion Forum

From: Home Care Magazine

The American Association for HomeCare (AAHomecare) last week posted a rebuttal to a 16-page, glowing report from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the Competitive Bidding Program.

AAHomecare countered the report with a press release detailing the myths about the bidding program, numerous complaints and problems stemming from bidding, and benefits of the alternative Market Pricing Program (MPP).

The CMS report repeated many of the basic Medicare talking points on competitive bidding, and claimed the program saved $202 million in its first year of operation in nine metropolitan areas included in Round … Continue Reading

CMS data appears to show that Medicare beneficiaries in Pittsburgh who receive Durable Medical Equipment (DME) through CMS’ competitive bidding program have higher death rates compared to Detroit which does not yet have DME acquisition through the bidding program. As an article in Inside Health Policy observed,
For example, charts in the CMS report show that death rates were higher in Pittsburgh, where products are competitively bid, compared with Detroit, where there is no bidding.
Higher death rates of Medicare beneficiaries as a result of competitive bidding was also expected by Professor Peter Cramton of the University of Maryland based on … Continue Reading

“I think our healthcare benefits are regulated by the government, enough as it already is. I worked 50 years for the benefits I have now. They are regulated enough, the government just about runs my life as it is. I don’t get what I worked for already. I think this is just about as much dictatorship as I need. You’ve taken everything I’ve worked for all of my life. What are you trying to do, kill me? I think you’ve taken enough of what I already have. Don’t take anymore. You’ve regulated my life down to where I could barely … Continue Reading

From: Home Care Magazine

By Shelly Prial

I find it exciting to look back to the very first Medtrade show. It happened about 35 years ago in Atlanta, and it still feels like yesterday.

When I realize what Medtrade today means to DME/HME providers, I recognize that it has more than surpassed everyone’s wishes. The ability to meet and share information with peers has always been one of the driving reasons to attend Medtrade. There is no other venue where I, who live in Melbourne, Fla., can visit with friends from Seattle. This type of networking is one of the best reasons for … Continue Reading