CMS Fashions Second PAOC

BALTIMORE — Along with its interim final rule for DMEPOS competitive bidding,
CMS also
announced the members of its new Program Advisory and Oversight Committee.

Officials said the revised 17-member committee “will provide
advice to the [Department of Health and Human Services] Secretary
on a number of issues related to the implementation of the program
and will assist the Secretary [in focusing on] key operational
issues … including quality standards, accreditation, and
beneficiary issues.”

CMS abruptly ended the term of the first PAOC members in 2008
(see Call for
New PAOC Puzzles Current Members, HomeCare Monday,
Oct. 13, 2008).

The agency said new committee members include representatives of
beneficiaries and consumers, physicians and other practitioners,
providers, industry organizations and financial experts. The new
PAOC members are:

• Peter Amico, Prime Care Supplies Inc. of Holtsville, N.Y.
• Kendra Betz, U.S.
  Department of Veterans Affairs
• Richard Boulger, University of Iowa Business Solutions Center
• Doran Edwards, Advanced HealthCare Consulting LLC of Columbia,
  S.C.
• Sue ElHessen, Careers Unlimited Inc. of Bellflower, Calif.
• Joseph Furlong, American Home Patient of Brentwood, Tenn.
• Walter Gorski, AAHomecare
• Rita Hostak, Sunrise Medical Inc. of Mathews, N.C.
• Thomas Jeffers, Hill-Rom, Inc. of Batesville, Ind.
• Ruben King-Shaw, All-Med Services of Florida Inc.
• Ann Kohler, National Association of State Medicaid Directors
• Jeffrey Mansell, Texas Department of State Health Services
• Sharad Mansukani, NationsHealth Inc. of Sunrise, Fla.
• Thomas Milam, AmMed Direct LLC of Antioch, Tenn.
• Barbara Rogers, National Emphysema/COPD Association
• Esta Willman, Medi-Source, Yucca Valley, Calif.
• Debra Zak, The Joint Commission, Des Plaines, Ill.

While there are strong HME advocates among its members, whether
the new PAOC will pack any punch this time around remains
uncertain. Previous committee members have been vocal in their
criticism of CMS, saying although the committee’s name indicates
they had oversight powers, they did not, and while they were to
function as well in an advisory capacity, CMS seldom took their
advice.

Rob Brant, president of the Accredited Medical Equipment Providers of
America — whose members went to court over bid
disqualification in Round One — also said he was disappointed
there is not more representation of small providers on the new
PAOC. “We’re the ones that have to do the bids, crunch the numbers,
provide the service,” said Brant, who owns City Medical
Services in North Miami Beach, Fla.