Question of the Show

If you were to receive an RFP for competitive bidding tomorrow, and you were asked to respond in 30 days, what would you do? "We'd have to bid. We'd have no choice. I mean it'd depend on what the project entailed and how big an area they wanted you to cover, but we'd bid. We'd be realistic and not bid too low, but we'd bid." —Neil Rotter, v.p. of marketing, Accredited Medical Equipment and Supply, Encino, Calif. "We'd respond to it, but we'd respond with real prices. We're not going to downgrade services. We do a lot. You can't provide the services we provide and undercut costs. Maybe if everyone did that, [CMS] would acknowledge that our services are worth something. We need to start standing up for ourselves. We need to unify and stand up to our payer sources." — Carol Laumer, executive director, Rice Home Medical, Willmar, Minn. "We'd follow the proposal and place a bid. That's all any business can do. I do know it'd be a big burden on small businesses like mine. I know freedom of choice would go out the window, and for some businesses, so would service." — Hector Olivarez, owner, A-Plus Medical, Mission, Texas "We wouldn't be able to bid. Competitive bidding is totally anti-small business. It'd kill our oxygen and bed business. We've got companies like Lincare and Praxair in town. How are we supposed to compete with them? And we're not even the smallest provider in town. We don't have the warehouse or capitol to push out that much equipment." — Jay Broadbent, co-owner, Alpine Home Medical Equipment, Salt Lake City, Utah