Competitive bid: Florida proposal shelved

MIAMI LAKES, Fla. - Medicaid withdrew its plan to competitively bid ostomy and incontinence supplies in Florida, but industry relief could be shortlived. "I can't tell you when, but it will be coming back," said Raul Lopez, Florida Association for Medical Equipment Services (FAMES) president. On May 16, the Agency for Health Care Administration (ACHA) published a notice rejecting all bids. Providers had until May 19 to protest the rejection, but none did. In December, ACHA issued a request for proposal that required a sole provider to supply the products at 80% of current reimbursement levels. FAMES filed a formal protest on April 21, questioning the bid process, including whether providers had ample notice of the RFP, which was posted just prior to Christmas, and whether it was properly publicized. FAMES also requested copies of all documents related to the bid process, including copies of the eight bids received. Lopez said ACHA didn't say why the agency decided to reject the bids except to say they could have done things better. Lopez said FAMES plans to follow up with its information requests.