Report Questions Bidding Program, AAHomecare Questions Report

WASHINGTON — AAHomecare reported last week that the
Congressional Research Service, which provides Congress with
background and analysis of policy issues, has released a report
that questions the competitive bidding program.

“It remains to be seen whether new legislative requirements and
administrative efforts will result in effective implementation of
the program,” said the report, titled “Medicare Durable Medical
Equipment: The Competitive Bidding Program.” But while the report
said the program has been “problematic, with poor communication and
an inadequate bid submission system,” it also asserts that that the
bidding program will not curtail access to HME, a statement CRS
based on the bidding demonstration projects in Florida and Texas in
1999 and 2001.

AAHomecare took issue with that. “The current bidding program is
structured far differently than the demonstration projects, and
therefore should not be used as a comparison,” the association
pointed out.

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