Tag: Glenn Thompson

WASHINGTON - A new bipartisan bill seeks to prevent fraudulent Medicare payments for orthotics and prosthetics (O&P).Introduced Sept. 17 by Reps. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., and Mike Thompson, D-Calif., H.R. 3112, the Medicare Orthotics & Prosthetics Improvement Act of 2013, would require CMS to only pay for O&P services provided by accredited or licensed providers.“When unlicensed and unaccredited providers deliver prosthetic and orthotic services, both Medicare beneficiaries and the American taxpayer...

WASHINGTON - In a June 21 letter to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), Reps. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., and Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, call on the agency to investigate the possibility that CMS deliberately overlooked its own rules when awarding contracts for competitive bidding, according to a press release.The OIG is charged with identifying and combating waste, fraud and abuse in more than 300 programs, including Medicare.“We have asked the Inspector General to look into the shortfalls,...

WASHINGTON - A bill that would delay the expansion of competitive bidding could get fast-tracked through the House of Representatives, say industry stakeholders.Reps. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., and Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, introduced H.R. 2375, the “Transparency Accountability in Medicare Bidding Act of 2013,” on June 14. The bill would delay the implementation of Round 2, scheduled to go live July 1, until Dec. 31, 2013, and the Round 1 re-compete, set for Jan. 1, 2014, until six months after...

WASHINGTON - The National Association for the Support of Long Term Care (NASL) stands behind lawmakers in the House of Representatives who want to delay implementation of Round 2 of competitive bidding, according to a press release. The association applauded the leadership of Reps. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., and Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, who crafted a “Dear Colleague” letter to garner support for the delay, saying a myriad of concerns need to be addressed. “NASL continues to voice serious...

WATERLOO, Iowa - The tide may be turning on CMS and its competitive bidding program, industry stakeholders told attendees at The VGM Group's Heartland Conference last week.The same week as the conference, Reps. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., and Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, introduced a bill that would delay Round 2 of competitive bidding (see top story). Earlier in the week, they had sent a “Dear Colleague” letter signed by 227 lawmakers, a majority in the House of Representatives, to CMS.“This...

WASHINGTON - Reps. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., and Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, will hold a press conference Thursday, June 13, to increase the pressure on CMS to delay Round 2 of competitive bidding, according to a news release from AAHomecare.The pair of lawmakers, who are spearheading the push to delay the implementation of Round 2, plan to announce that a bipartisan majority of 226 members of the House of Representatives have signed their “Dear Colleague” letter to CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner.Thompson...

WASHINGTON - Amid growing concerns on Capitol Hill, CMS officials have been asked to report to Senate staff on Round 2 of competitive bidding at a briefing on Tuesday.“The pressure's on,” said Jay Witter, vice president of government affairs for AAHomecare. “The licensure issue is one that CMS has not been able to answer.”The Maryland Office of Healthcare Quality confirmed recently that there are more than 100 contract suppliers that don't meet licensure requirements...

WASHINGTON - Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., told attendees at AAHomecare's Washington Legislative Conference last week that he plans to introduce legislation seeking a delay in Round 2 of competitive bidding.The move is necessary in light of licensing issues in multiple bid areas, he said.“The awarding of bids to unlicensed suppliers is (an issue) truly in need of a subcommittee hearing and I plan to ask for that,” Thompson told attendees. “We will need people to go to the floor to...

WASHINGTON - Two separate pairs of congressmen have penned letters aiming to push back the July 1 implementation of Round 2 of competitive bidding, according to reports from The VGM Group and FAHCS. In their "Dear Colleague" letter, Reps. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., and Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, urge their fellow lawmakers to join them in requesting that CMS delay the start date through the end of 2013 to “allow for adequate investigation and correction of the significant problems.” Another letter...

WASHINGTON - HME providers lit up the Capitol Hill switchboard Dec. 4 and 5 with one message: Support the market-pricing program (MPP).The VGM Group and NAIMES, which spearheaded the efforts, estimate that 1,177 and 200 calls were made, respectively. The state with the most calls was Connecticut (132). Staffers for Rep. Christopher Murphy, D-Conn., told NEMED officials that he would take a closer look at H.R. 6490, a bill to replace the current competitive bidding program with MPP, as a result of...