Oregon Homecare Providers Support Congressional Bill to Repeal Misguided Medicare Bidding Program

PORTLAND, Ore., June 3, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ —
Providers of home medical equipment and services (HME) in Oregon
support H.R. 1041, a bipartisan bill in Congress that would repeal
the controversial Medicare “competitive” bidding program for
certain medically required equipment and services used at home.
 That bidding program is scheduled to start up in the
Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton metropolitan area later this year.

This bidding program will affect millions of Medicare
beneficiaries nationwide who require oxygen therapy, enteral
nutrients (tube feeding), continuous positive air pressure (CPAP)
and respiratory assistive devices, power wheelchairs, walkers,
hospital beds and support surfaces, and mail-order diabetic
supplies.  The program was implemented on January 1 in nine
metropolitan areas (round one), and later this year it begins in 91
round two areas including the Portland region.

“This bidding program must be stopped before round two is
implemented,” said Angelene Adler, vice president of operations at
Portland-based Care Medical. “It will harm patients, reduce
competition, lower quality of products, increase Medicare spending,
and cost thousands of jobs throughout the country. Congress must
pass H.R. 1041.”

Care Medical is a member of the Pacific Association for Medical
Equipment Services and the American Association for Homecare, which
support H.R. 1041.        

“Homecare is an industry built on care and service and it has
always been cost effective,” said Adler. “This fact seems to be
ignored by Medicare officials. The bidding program will not save
taxpayers’ money in the long run. It is not sustainable, and
Congress must act now.”

The bill to repeal the bidding program in the U.S. House of
Representatives, H.R. 1041, has 113 cosponsors so far with broad
support from both Republicans and Democrats in Congress.

CONSUMER GROUPS, MARKET EXPERTS SUPPORT REPEAL OF BID P

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