Tag: Round 2
OIG: Access to oxygen, enteral supplies not impeded
May 24, 2018Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON - Round 2 of Medicare's competitive bidding program does not appear to have impacted access to oxygen or enteral supplies for most beneficiaries, according to two new reports from the Office of Inspector General.The OIG analyzed claims data from three months before and six months after the July 1, 2013, kick-off of the program in both CBAs and non-CBAs.For oxygen, the OIG found that Medicare payments continued for 86% of beneficiaries in CBAs and 89% of beneficiaries in non-CBAs. Those...
Inconsistencies in bid program
November 17, 2017HME News Staff
BALTIMORE - CMS did not always follow its own procedures and federal requirements for awarding competitive bidding contracts consistently, according to a new report from the Office of Inspector General.
CMS did not follow the bid process consistently for 23 of 215 winning suppliers, the OIG found.
Breaking it down, the agency awarded contracts to 10 suppliers that did not meet financial statement requirements and 13 suppliers that did not have the required license in at least one competition,...
New study is wake-up call for providers, says Ryan
October 21, 2016Tracy Orzel
WASHINGTON - Medicare payments under the competitive bidding program are below providers' costs and therefore unsustainable, says a new study.
Medicare reimbursement rates cover, on average, only 88% of overall costs for companies providing HME services, according to the study, “Analysis of the Cost of Providing Durable Medical Equipment to the Medicare Population: Measuring the Impact of Competitive Bidding,” conducted by Dobson DaVanzo & Associates.
The study examined the...
In brief: Utilization drops in Round 2 bid areas, retail finalists named
October 21, 2016HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - The number of Medicare beneficiaries receiving DMEPOS in Round 2 areas decreased more than twice as much from 2012 to 2014 than in non-bid areas, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.
The number of beneficiaries receiving DMEPOS in Round 2 areas decreased 17% from 2012, the year before bid pricing went into effect, to 2014, the year after. The number of beneficiaries in non-bid areas decreased 6% during the same time period.
“CMS officials stated...
Utilization drops in Round 2 bid areas, GAO finds
October 19, 2016HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - The number of Medicare beneficiaries receiving DMEPOS in Round 2 areas decreased more than twice as much from 2012 to 2014 than in non-bid areas, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.The number of beneficiaries receiving DMEPOS in Round 2 areas decreased 17% from 2012, the year before bid pricing went into effect, to 2014, the year after. The number of beneficiaries in non-bid areas decreased 6% during the same time period.“CMS officials stated that...
Q&A: Ken Fasse: Binson's ready for second go-round
June 21, 2016Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
Binson's Home Health Care Centers is in rare company these days. The Center Line, Mich.-based provider is one of only nine to be awarded a national mail-order contract for diabetes supplies that starts July 1. HME News spoke recently with Ken Fasse, executive vice president and COO, about what Binson's learned from the first round of the program and how much it expects its business to grow.
HME News: Were you surprised that CMS cut the number of mail-order contracts by half?
Ken Fasse:...
OIG report finds some contract suppliers did not meet all licensure requirements
May 26, 2016HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - A significant chunk of Round 2 contract suppliers did not meet all licensure requirements, according to a new report from the Office of Inspector General.
“Of the 146 suppliers covered in our audit, 69 suppliers met licensure requirements,' stated the OIG. “However, 63 suppliers did not meet licensure requirements for some of the competitions for which they received a contract.”
An additional 14 suppliers need further research to determine whether they met...
NewsPoll: Are bid contracts 'worth it'?
April 15, 2016Tracy Orzel
YARMOUTH, Maine - Respondents to a recent HME NewsPoll are split over whether accepting a competitive bidding contract from Medicare is a good idea.Fifty-four percent of respondents said that, in general, they did not accept the majority of the contracts they were offered, while 32% said they accepted a contract the first time around, but not the second.One reason: “(It's) not worth it,” said Jill Duda, business operations manager at Philadelphia-based Flagship Medical, of the decrease...
In brief: CMS opens bid portal, Invacare offers senior notes
February 19, 2016HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - In a sign that contract offers might be on their way, HME providers who submitted bids as part of the Round 2 and the national mail-order re-compete may now register for Connexion.
Contract offers and other correspondence for the Round 2 and national mail-order re-compete will be communicated only through Connexion, a new secure, online portal, according to an update posted to the CBIC website Feb. 17.
“These items will not be mailed,” the agency stated.
To respond...
Closings abound
March 20, 2015Tracy Orzel
Since founding Medi-Healthcare in 1985, CEO Robert Slama has seen providers come and go, but recently, he says there's a lot more going than coming.
“We've seen about 13 companies close down in our surrounding area over the last 24 months or so,” said Slama, who has a location in Lakeland, Fla.
That includes the recent closing of a competitor that logged more than 20 years in business, he said.
Still, Slama, who accepted Round 2 contracts for enteral, oxygen and negative...