Tag: Jonathan Blum

All the buzz on the Hill in April: Jonathan Blum is leaving his post as director and principal deputy administrator of CMS.Blum, as those in the HME industry are well aware, has been the face of CMS's competitive bidding program. During his five-year tenure, we've seen the program grow from nine to 100 cities.  We've also seen the agency put the wheels in motion to expand the program nationwide in 2016.In an internal memo, CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner said Blum's accomplishments were “too...

WASHINGTON - Jonathan Blum is stepping down as director and principal deputy administrator at CMS, according to news reports. In an internal email, CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner included “implementing our competitive bidding program for durable medical supplies” as part of his many “accomplishments.” During Blum's five-year tenure, the bidding program expanded from nine to 100 competitive bidding areas. Blum, whose last day is May 16, will pursue “new opportunities.”...

All the buzz on the Hill today: Jonathan Blum is leaving his post as director and principal deputy administrator of CMS. Blum, as those in the HME industry are well aware, has been the face of CMS's competitive bidding program. During his five-year tenure, we've seen the program grow from nine to 100 cities.  We've also seen the agency put the wheels in motion to expand the program nationwide in 2016. In an internal memo, CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner said Blum's accomplishments were “too...

POTOSI, Mo. - Providers here put Jonathan Blum on the defensive in May, but the deputy administrator and director of CMS stands behind the flawed competitive bidding program, they say.“He made it very clear to all of us that he feels competitive bidding is a great thing and it's doing what it's supposed to do: Patients are getting what they need and providers aren't getting hurt,” said Patrick Naeger, executive vice president of Perryville, Mo.-based Healthcare Equipment & Supply Co.Blum...

POTOSI, Mo. - CMS's Jonathan Blum on May 21 visited Healthcare Equipment & Supply and participated in a roundtable discussion about competitive bidding issues in rural areas. Blum, deputy administrator of CMS and director of its Center for Medicare, heard concerns about Missouri's rural Washington County being included in Round 2 of the program. The added expense of traveling more miles to serve patients for reduced rates under competitive bidding may mean patients will have to pay out of pocket,...

ORLANDO - CMS official Jonathan Blum said he wanted to hear firsthand how HME providers were faring under competitive bidding and yesterday he got an earful. "No one expressed confidence in the program," said Sean Schwinghammer, executive director of the Florida Alliance of Home Care Services (FAHCS). Blum, deputy director of CMS and director of the Center for Medicare, was in Orlando, a Round 1 competitive bidding area, on other business and suggested the meeting, said Schwinghammer. "Initially,...

Jonathan Blum appreciates your concerns. He really does. But the competitive bidding program is moving forward. A brave statement to make at a luncheon populated by about 300 HME providers with knives. "We take PAOC very seriously and we've learned from the past," Blum, the director of Medicare Management Services told the crowd at AAHomecare's conference today. "The online bidding system is smoother, and we are not aware of any significant concerns." That's all well and good,...