Laboratory competitive bidding

American Clinical Laboratory Association accuses CMS in a June 20 letter of putting "the cart before the horse" in asking for comments on a proposed bidding form. Although a three-year demonstration project for competitive bidding for lab services, as mandated under the Medicare Modernization Act, was originally expected to begin in early 2007, plans to implement the demo have yet to emerge (1"The Gray Sheet" Dec. 5, 2005, p. 13). ACLA notes that "the form itself suggests that CMS has significantly underestimated the complexity of [the program] and the unique and serious issues that will be presented." Similarly, AdvaMed states in June 19 comments that CMS has underestimated the burden of completing the form and urges the agency to take patient satisfaction and ease of access into account in monitoring the demo...