PAOC Adds New Member

BALTIMORE–Michael Tootell, director of health policy for the
Ross Products Division of Abbott Laboratories, is the newest member
of the government committee charged with advising CMS on
implementing Medicare’s DME competitive bidding program.

The Program Advisory and Oversight Committee recently lost two
of its members. Dr. Ken Viste, who was medical director at the
Physical Rehabilitation Unit at Baltimore’s Mercy Medical Center
and staff physician at St. Agnes Hospital, passed away in August.
Dan Waldmann, former director of federal affairs at Johnson &
Johnson, recently accepted a new position at another company.

After a two-day meeting in September during which supplier
quality standards were discussed, the committee is scheduled to
meet again after the proposed rule on national competitive bidding
is published. For more information on the PAOC, click
here.

Comments on CMS’ proposed quality standards for suppliers, which
will eventually be required of all DMEPOS suppliers who want to do
business with Medicare Part B, are due Nov. 28. A draft of the
standards is posted at www.cms.hhs.gov/suppliers/dmepos/compbid/default.asp.
Submit comments to [email protected].