Tag: Access Issues

WASHINGTON - AAHomecare is developing a new survey with Dobson DaVanzo & Associates to determine the impact of competitive bidding on patient access to home medical equipment nationwide.The survey will seek input from HME providers, beneficiaries, caregivers and hospital discharge planners. Dobson DaVanzo, a leading healthcare research group, will create a report based on the survey results.Although industry stakeholders have met with regulatory agencies to discuss improvements to the bid program,...

WATERLOO, Iowa - Forty percent of the calls it receives through a hotline number are now from patients and caregivers who are being asked to pay out of pocket for their home medical equipment, according to People for Quality Care.An increasing number of HME providers are filing claims non-assigned, requiring their patients to cover more of the cost of their equipment, PFQC said in an Oct. 24 press release.“I just received a letter from my oxygen provider saying that they would not be taking...

I had a provider email me this week who was asking if we could use our trusty HME Databank to show how the competitive bidding program has affected access to home medical equipment. “I am reading about CMS boasting about saving so much money through the bid process,” he wrote. “I believe the savings are bogus and the real savings are coming from Medicare clients finding it easier to pay cash than deal with Medicare.” The provider suggested that we take a look at three items...

WASHINGTON and WATERLOO, Iowa - The COPD Foundation has partnered with People for Quality Care, the advocacy division of The VGM Group, to protect access to home oxygen therapy for Medicare beneficiaries.The partnership will better position the two groups to collect data on the access issues created by competitive bidding, and share it with CMS and Congress.“By collecting patient stories, the COPD Foundation and People for Quality Care are demonstrating that, while competitive bidding...