BALTIMORE--If you are one of the providers CMS contacted to participate in a survey about competitive bidding, then you might be getting a follow-up call if you have not responded.
While the Medicare Modernization Act mandated a DMEPOS competitive bidding program, the law also mandated that CMS study its impact. "One of the key issues that this study is designed to address is the effects of competitive bidding on product mix available to beneficiaries," the agency said in a notice sent out last week.
Fielded earlier this year, the survey was sent to 1,000 providers located both inside and outside the first 10 competitive bidding areas so the agency "can do stronger types of comparisons about isolating [the] impacts of competitive bidding," according to a CMS research analyst (see HomeCare Monday, Sept. 24).
According to the notice, providers who were asked to participate "were scientifically selected based on a probability sample of DMEPOS claims. Therefore, if your company has been selected to participate in this study, your cooperation is vitally important!"
While the study uses a valid before/after design, the agency said, "as in all surveys, success depends on having each sample member complete the questionnaire in order to maximize the reliability of information collected."
Suppliers selected for the survey have received a request to participate from CMS Privacy Officer Walter Stone, as well as reminder emails from Abt Associates, the contractor hired to administer the survey.
"This survey is strictly voluntary," CMS said, "and the decision whether to participate and/or the answers given to the survey have no effect on the supplier's business relationship with Medicare."
The agency explained that the survey analysis and report would not examine an individual company's product mix but rather the market's product mix as a whole based on combined responses from the entire sample. Survey responses are provided via a secure online Web site, and answers are confidential, CMS said.
"We gratefully acknowledge and thank you for your cooperation in this effort to develop important information about the effects of Medicare's new competitive bidding program for DMEPOS!" CMS concluded.
For more information about the survey or if you have lost or
misplaced login information, CMS asked providers to contact Brenda
Rodriguez of Abt Associates at (617) 349-2544.