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OIG: Bid program did not impede access

OIG: Bid program did not impede access

WASHINGTON - Most Medicare beneficiaries continued to have access to CPAP/RAD devices after Round 2 of the competitive bidding program began, according to a new report from the Office of Inspector General.

For CPAP/RAD supplies, however, Medicare payments stopped for 46% of beneficiaries in Round 2 CBAs, compared to 33% in non-bid areas.

“The decline may or may not indicate disruptions in receiving needed supplies,” the OIG stated. “For example, the decline may indicate that the program reduced the provision of unnecessary supplies, as CMS determined to be the case with Round 1 of the program.”

The OIG conducted the study in response to a 2014 letter in which members of Congress expressed concerns about the program's impact on access to DME.

The OIG says its findings are consistent with CMS's conclusion that the bidding program is not impeding access to CPAP/RAD devices.

Round 2 of competitive bidding kicked off July 1, 2013.

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