Competitive Bidding
H.R. 1041 Introduced to Repeal Competitive Bidding
WASHINGTON — Washington legislators will get a strong message from HME providers attending the American Association for Homecare Legislative Conference this week: Support H.R. 1041.
The new bill to repeal DMEPOS competitive bidding, called the Fairness in Medicare Bidding Act, was introduced Friday by Reps. Jason Altmire, D-Pa., and Glenn Thompson, R-Pa.
"It would be a full repeal and be budget-neutral," said Altmire press aide Tess Mullen.
The two congressmen, long champions of home care, will discuss the bill at a Capitol Hill press conference tomorrow morning. Altmire will further detail the bill in his scheduled speech at the AAHomecare conference on Wednesday, Mullen said.
The news comes just as providers are headed to the Hill on Thursday to talk to their legislators about competitive bidding.
"When [conference attendees] meet with representatives, they can direct them toward the bill we have introduced and highlight why it is really important to support the legislation into law," Mullen said.
"I think it is important to Congressman Altmire that the people attending the legislative conference are articulate about how this program is affecting them and the patients on the ground," she noted. "It does impact patients who rely on this equipment to live independently every day."
Friday's announcement got a jubilant reception from AAHomecare officials, whose goal was to get a repeal bill introduced in time for the association's annual lobbying event.
"The American Association for Homecare and the Pennsylvania Association of Medical Suppliers, as well as a number of providers and manufacturers in Pennsylvania, have been working with the two congressmen over the past several months in sharing our concerns about competitive bidding and the harmful consequences the program poses to providers and beneficiaries of home care," President Tyler Wilson said in a statement late Friday. "We're pleased to see the congressmen taking action and we look forward to their press conference on Tuesday."
