AMEPA Gives New Reps the Bad News on Competitive Bidding

MIAMI — New Florida Republican Reps. David Rivera and
Allen West heard about the impact of job losses under competitive bidding at their
district offices’ “grand opening” events, the Accredited Medical
Equipment Providers of America reported last week.

Jorge Coello told Rivera that he had been the warehouse manager
at AMEPA member City Medical Services in Miami for over eight
years, but he lost his job in December when the company laid off
half of its staff — even though the provider won a Round 1
oxygen contract.

“I thought my job was safe, because our company won the oxygen
bid,” Coello explained to his new congressman, “but because our
company did not win the CPAPs, enteral feed, support surface,
hospital beds, walkers or power wheelchair categories, our company
was no longer purchasing inventory and so they no longer had a
place for me.”

Coello also told the congressman that he has been looking for
work in the DME field for two months but no one is hiring.

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