Congress Moves To Delay Competitive Bidding Programs
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
Congress aimed its crosshairs at two Medicare competitive bidding programs, one for durable medical equipment and one for clinical lab tests, with legislation last week that would delay or halt their implementation
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Medicare In Brief
Competitive bidding delay: Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, introduce S. 3144 June 17 to delay for 18 months the CMS competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment before the program goes into effect July 1. The bill mirrors House legislation introduced June 12 by Pete Stark, D-Calif. (1"The Gray Sheet" June 16, 2008, p. 22). To offset the cost of the delay, the 2009 Medicare fee schedule payments for products that would have been included in the first round of the program would be cut 9.5% nationwide. The bill would also exclude complex rehabilitation wheelchairs from the program, and negative pressure wound therapy devices from Round 1. The DME provisions are included in House bill 2H.R. 6331 - a companion to Baucus' S. 3101 Medicare package - introduced by Ways & Means Chair Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., June 20
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Medicare In Brief
Competitive bidding delay: Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, introduce S. 3144 June 17 to delay for 18 months the CMS competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment before the program goes into effect July 1. The bill mirrors House legislation introduced June 12 by Pete Stark, D-Calif. (1"The Gray Sheet" June 16, 2008, p. 22). To offset the cost of the delay, the 2009 Medicare fee schedule payments for products that would have been included in the first round of the program would be cut 9.5% nationwide. The bill would also exclude complex rehabilitation wheelchairs from the program, and negative pressure wound therapy devices from Round 1. The DME provisions are included in House bill 2H.R. 6331 - a companion to Baucus' S. 3101 Medicare package - introduced by Ways & Means Chair Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., June 20