Welcome, H.R. 1041!

The HME industry’s effort to repeal competitive bidding got a critical boost last month with the introduction of H.R. 1041 by Reps. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., and Jason Altmire, D-Pa.

At a March 15 press conference, the two congressmen, long-time champions of home care, told reporters the Fairness in Medicare Bidding Act calls for an immediate repeal of the national bidding program for HME, which rolled out in nine cities January 1.

Thompson noted that legislation sometimes has “unintended consequences” that lead to tragic circumstances, and the bidding program is an example. He said “calling it competitive bidding is double-speak,” and pointed out that the program hurts small businesses, costs jobs and increases health care costs.

Altmire said he had predicted the bidding program would create numerous problems for patients and small businesses, and those problems have, in fact, emerged since the bid program was implemented.

“Now that it has happened, we have a demonstrable negative impact to this, and I think that’s going to help the case for repeal,” Altmire said.

Both representatives expressed confidence in the bill, which within days of its introduction had begun to rack up cosponsors.

Also speaking in support of H.R. 1041 at the press conference were: Tyler Wilson, president, American Association for Homecare; Georgie Blackburn, vice president, government relations, Blackburn’s Physicians’ Pharmacy; Cynthia Morton, executive vice president, National Association for the Support of Long Term Care; Seth Johnson, vice president of government affairs, Pride Mobility Products; John Shirvinsky, executive director, Pennsylvania Association of Medical Suppliers; Stan Holbrook, president and CEO, Three Rivers Center for Independent Living; and Barbara Rogers, president and CEO, National Emphysema/COPD Association (NECA).

For more on H.R. 1041 and the industry’s effort to push the bill, see page 16.