Medicare recipients will suffer says MetroStar COO

NEW YORK, March 5, 2013—Durable Medical Equipment companies continue their rally to protect Medicare Beneficiaries who will fall victim to the alarming changes instituted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Durable Medical Equipment companies from across New York have aligned in their effort to safeguard Medicare Beneficiaries. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that Round 2 of its bidding process, which is expected to begin on July 1, suggests that reimbursements for a wide range of home medical equipment will drop on average by 45 percent in New York City and Long Island, with diabetic tests prices dropping an average of 72 percent.

“Medicare recipients will be the ones who will truly suffer,” says Isaac Newman, COO for MetroStar Home Health Products. Newman, who has recently taken an active role on this cause, is growing increasingly more concerned about patients, many of whom are in desperate need of their equipment.
Round 1 of the process has already eliminated thousands of businesses from providing equipment and services to Medicare beneficiaries. In turn, with fewer businesses providing products and services, there was a significant drop in utilization of DME equipment by Medicare beneficiaries, and many were forced to change providers.

“Competition amongst companies should increase the service and quality of products, but the CMS competitive bidding system allows for unusually low bidding, which suggests that patients will be receiving a substandard product. That is completely unacceptable,” Newman said.

While CMS claims that this new program has not received many formal complaints, community and patient activists are joining forces across the country to fight the implementation of round 2 of the competitive bid process. MetroStar continued to operate during Hurricane Sandy and organized a Holiday Toy Drive through the month of December. With their focus of the community they serve, MetroStar’s number-one priority is maintaining the integrity of their patients. For more information contact Newman at 718-838-3333 or www.metrostardme.com.