Competitive Bidding Panel Meets Without Proposed Rule

Baltimore

Without a proposed rule on national competitive bidding to discuss, the committee charged with advising CMS on implementing the program spent most of its last meeting listening to stakeholders discuss how bidding might impact specific segments of the industry.

Nearly a day-and-a-half of the Sept. 26-27 Program Advisory and Oversight Committee meeting, which drew an audience of about 200, was spent listening to expert panelists in HME, respiratory equipment including oxygen, rehab equipment and assistive technology, orthotics and prosthetics and enteral nutrition, among others.

“They were all very compelling. Most not only offered an opinion about the effects that competitive bidding will have on their part of the industry but also offered recommendations as to how things could be changed,” said meeting attendee Wallace Weeks of Weeks Group, adding that most panelists made the point that beneficiary access could be jeopardized by including these products in the bid. “There were only a couple that said ‘you need to exempt my product’ and didn’t offer solutions.”

The proposed rule on competitive bidding was scheduled to be published in the Federal Register in September before the meeting. As of press time, it still had not been released.

Once the rule is issued, the PAOC will meet again during the comment period.

For more information, visit www.cms.hhs.gov/suppliers/dmepos/compbid/paoc.asp.