Medicare held a teleconference for Bid Winners yesterday and still left Bid Winners with many questions. One question, which was not answered, was the fact that Bid Winners still have not received contracts for a program that will begin in less than 6 business days.

One Bid Winner explained to me that they received a letter to accept the bid on March 21st and was given a week to accept the contract. He signed his letter of acceptance three days later and has now waited over 80 days for the contract.

He explained that Medicare has not adjudicated the contract. In the Bid Winners words: "They sent me an offer and I accepted. Ultimately, I do not have an agreement and we do not have a relationship.""You will receive it very soon" was the answer that Medicare provided but many Bid Winners were still upset. Another bid winner in Enteral Tube Feeding Supplies explained that he is trying to gear up to cover his MSA. He was concerned that in order to supply new patients and invest in a perishable item, he needed commitments.

"I am Not Licensed, What Should I Do?"

One Bid Winner explained that he won the Oxygen bids in several MSAs, but he is not licensed to provide the drug. He asked if he should reject his acceptance. After a long pause he was told "We cannot respond".

It was explained that he should notify the National Supplier Clearinghouse (NSC), which is the administrator which regulates Medicare Providers. The Medicare representative later explained that this was a very serious problem and that if anyone else did not have proper licensure that they had a responsibility to notify the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) and the NSC.

"Is the Program Going to be Stopped by Congress?"

One Bid Winner asked the question: "Is the program going to be stopped by Congress?"

Medicare's response was that their job was to oversee and implement the program. He added that the Teleconference was to respond to questions about implementing the program and they had no opinion about that issue. When pressed further he answered "We are moving forward to begin on July 1st"

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of FL's Diabetic Cuts, Mirror Bid Prices.

The AMEPA office received a copy of a letter sent by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida's Vice President of Network Management, Barry B. Schwartz, M.D. The letter explained:

"Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Inc. (BCBSF) is changing its network design for the delivery of Diabetic Supplies to members."

The letter continued, "To support this network change, effective July 15, 2008, the BCBSF fee schedule allowances for Diabetic Supplies will be reduced. The fee schedule reduction will affect the following networks: Blue Medicare PPO, Network Blue, Preferred Patient Care (PPC), and Traditional Networks"

The new Fee Schedule lists the HCPCS code of A4253, a box of 50 Blood Glucose Test Reagent Strips, will be reimbursed at $21.06. That is a 41% reduction in the current reimbursement according to Diabetic Providers, Inc, an In-Network Provider in Jupiter, FL.

Questions can be answered at the Network Management Service Unit at (800) 727-2227. When calling say "More Choices" then "Network Management", Monday - Friday 9 A.M. to 6P.M. ET. Members may request the complete Fee Schedule by contacting the AMEPA office info@AMEPA.us

AAHomecare announces Tuesday, June 24th Vote on "Doc Fix"
An announcement by AAHomecare:

Developments in the U.S. House of Representatives
H.R. 6252, the "Medicare DMEPOS Competitive Acquisition Reform Act of 2008," a bill aimed at delaying and improving the bidding program will be folded into a larger Medicare package that includes the physician pay issues ("doc fix"). The bill is currently under development by the Ways and Means Committee. Importantly, this bill does not cut oxygen or power wheelchairs. AAHomecare supports this proposal. A bill number and language for this larger Medicare package that includes the competitive bidding improvement and delay is not yet available.
This Medicare bill will come up for a vote by the House of Representatives on Tuesday, June 24. We need Democrats and Republicans in order to get the overwhelming support this bill requires to succeed. The bill may appear on the suspension calendar, which means that it will receive expedited consideration.
REQUIRED ACTION:
Call your Representative in the House and urge him or her tosupport and vote forthe Medicare package being proposed by the Ways and Means Committee. Please share with AAHomecare's Stacey Harms (staceyh@aahomecare.org) the commitments to support the bill that you receive as well as any other feedback. We need to count the votes that are in support of this bill.
Developments in the U.S. Senate
In the Senate, Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus and Senator Charles Grassley are developinga different Medicare package. The improvements and delay to competitive bidding, as laid out in S. 3144 and endorsed by AAHomecare, will be included in this Baucus-Grassley Medicare package. However, as it stands now, this Baucus-Grassley package will also cut more deeply into oxygen therapy payments than the 9.5 percent cut to offset the DME competitive bid delay proposal. The Baucus-Grassley package will also include a provision that would significantly eliminate the first-month purchase option for power wheelchairs.

Florida Representatives Co-Sponsor H.R.6252

AMEPA received confirmation today that the following Representatives are Co-Sponsoring H.R. 6252:

Lincoln Diaz-Balart
Mario Diaz-Balart Robert Wexler

I wanted to thank everyone for their persistance in involving these Congressmen.

We are still awaiting confirmation from Alcee Hastings, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Tom Mahoney and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz in South Florida. We also need support from Representatives Bilrakis, Castor, Feeney, Keller Wheldon and Young in Central Florida; and Buchanon, Mack and Mahoney in Southwest Florida and many others

New Materials Available to Show Legislators

One of the tools we used to educate Legislatiors about Competitive Bidding is a map which details the many areas of the Dallas MSA without proper coverage. Many staffers and legislators in large MSAs, similar to Dallas were appauled by the facts.

We need all those Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma Representatives on Board keep on calling!!!
Marion Berry (D-AR) ph 202 225-4076 fax 202 225-5602
Senator John Cornyn (R-TX)ph 202 224-2934 fax 202 228-2856
Ralph Hall (R-TX)Dallas MSA ph 202 225-6673 fax 202 225-3332
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) ph 202 224-5922 fax 202 224-0776
Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) - Dallas MSA ph 202 225-8885 fax 202 226-1477
Nicholas Lampson (D-TX) - Houston MSA (Round 2) ph 202 225-5951 fax 202 225-5241
Kenny Marchant (R-TX) - Dallas MSA ph 202 225-6605 fax 202 225-0074
John A. Culberson (R-TX) Houston MSA ph 225-2571 fax 202 225-4381
Al Green (D-TX) Houston MSA ph 202 225-7508 fax 202 225-2947
Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) Houston MSA ph 202 225-3816 fax 202 225-3317
Michael McCaul (R-TX) Houston MSA ph 202 225-2401 fax 202 225-5955
Ted Poe (R-TX) Beaumont MSA ph 202 225-6565 fax 202 225-5547
Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) El Paso MSA ph 202 225-4831 fax 202 225-2016
Tom Cole (R-OK) Oklahoma City MSA ph 202 225-6165
Mary Fallin (R-OK) Oklahoma City MSA ph 202 225-2132 fax 202 226-1463
Frank D. Lucas (R-OK) Oklahoma City MSA ph 202 225-5565 fax 202 225-8698
John Sullivan (R-OK) Tulsa MSA ph 202 225-2211 fax 202 225-9187
CLICK for the Dallas Respiratory Map

Check www.aahomecare.org for updates