Access survey slams bid program

WASHINGTON - More than 60% of case managers report an increase in the number of Medicare beneficiaries who have developed medical complications, received emergency care or were readmitted to a hospital due to issues related to obtaining proper and/or timely access to DME, according to a final report from Dobson DaVanzo & Associates.

“(The competitive bidding program has) negatively affected beneficiaries' access to DME services and supplies, adversely impacted case managers' ability to coordinate DME for patients, and placed an additional strain on suppliers to deliver quality products without delay,” states the report, completed in conjunction with AAHomecare. “If timely adjustments are not made, there is little doubt the beneficiaries, case managers and suppliers will continue to face adverse outcomes, particularly in rural areas.”

The report, “Access to Home Medical Equipment: Survey of Beneficiary, Case Manager and Supplier Experiences,” was based on a survey of more than 1,000 beneficiaries, case managers/discharge planners and HME providers.

Other findings from the report:

• 74.3% of beneficiaries report a discontinuity or disruption in their ability to receive oxygen and supplies since July 1, 2016, when a second wave of reimbursement cuts went into effect in non-bid areas as part of a national rollout of the program.
• 75.2% of case managers report issues accessing and coordinating oxygen therapy for their patients.
• 85% of suppliers report beneficiaries have privately purchased DME and supplies, opting not to use their Medicare benefits to file claim.

“This report empirically validates the problems we have been experiencing with the competitive bidding program for the past several years,” said Steve Ackerman, chairman of AAHomecare's board of directors, and president of Spectrum Medical. “The eager response to the survey from beneficiaries and discharge planners shows that these are problems adversely affecting the entire homecare community.”

AAHomecare had already shared preliminary findings from the survey with staff at Health and Human Services, CMS and the Office of Management and Budget.