Community Pharmacies Still Want Out of Competitive Bidding

WASHINGTON — H.R. 1936, the Medicare Access to Diabetes
Supplies Act, would permanently exempt small community pharmacies
from the competitive bidding
program for diabetes testing supplies. The exemption in the
bill, introduced May 23 by Reps. Aaron Schock, R-Ill., and Peter
Welch, D-Vt., covers diabetes test strips, monitors, lancets,
glucose control solutions and applies to community pharmacies with
10 or fewer locations.

“Without enactment of this legislation, or a comparable
exemption, seniors would suffer diminished access as small
pharmacies could no longer offer these supplies and provide
face-to-face guidance,” the National Community Pharmacists
Association noted in an endorsement of the legislation. “Most
independent pharmacies will not be able to meet the competitive
bidding requirement to service an entire Metropolitan Statistical
Area and to match the cut-rate bid prices of giant mail order
facilities.”

CMS’ current bid program includes mail-order diabetes supplies,
but the agency has indicated that it may include diabetic supplies
obtained at retail locations in future rounds of competitive
bidding.

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