The National Association of Independent Medical Equipment Suppliers (NAIMES) reports that many HME suppliers are confused and ill prepared for Round 2 of competitive bidding. Registration for that program opened last week in 91 metropolitan areas of the U.S. where about 11,500 HME providers do business.
Wayne Stanfield, president of NAIMES, said he began receiving calls from providers shortly after registration began last Monday, and many demonstrated a “stunning” lack of knowledge about the program. He said other HME industry organizations are reporting similar feedback.
“We’ve got people who don’t know what they don’t know,” Stanfield said in a telephone interview last week. It appears that many providers failed to prepare for the program, and instead held on to the hope that HME industry organizations would somehow stop competitive bidding.“That silver bullet just isn’t going to happen,” he said.
Stanfield stressed that HME providers doing business in any of the 91 competitive bidding areas should register for the program whether they intend to bid or not. “Even if you don’t have a plan to bid in February or March, just sign up,’’ he said. “It doesn’t cost a thing. You don’t have to tell them anything.”
Conditions could change for providers. Opportunities, such as mergers, may come, and if providers aren’t registered, they will be unable to bid, Stanfield said. “You can’t go back and register.”
Information on the competitive bidding program website strongly urges providers to register by Dec. 22 to be safe, but registration actually closes at 9 p.m. ET on Feb. 9.
“I think the other thing that all these independent suppliers in these 91 bid areas should understand that it is a long shot that anything is going to stop Round 2 from going forward,” Stanfield said. “Don’t count on Congress doing anything, and don’t count on anything else. But we’re going to keep fighting.”
About the Author: Dave Parks is editor of HomeCare magazine