The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced plans to expand its Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program. The product categories include oxygen equipment and supplies; power and manual wheelchairs, scooters, accessories; continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices and respiratory assist devices (RADs); hospital beds and accessories; walkers and accessories; and negative pressure wound therapy pumps. Orthotics and prosthetics are exempted. Competition begins this fall with new prices taking effect July 1, 2013. To help suppliers prepare, CMS announced plans for its bidder education program before bidding begins in winter 2012.

In response to the CMS announcement (http://go.cms.gov/qFImb0) AdvaMed (advamed.org) issued its own statement in which it calls for patient access protections. "AdvaMed continues to be concerned by the competitive bidding program and has made several recommendations to CMS to improve this program. We urge the agency to include protections in its forthcoming announcements that will ensure patients receive high quality products and supplies delivered by properly trained staff and a bidding process that is fair and consistent with methodologies accepted by leading economists and auction experts.

"Given the significant expansion of a program with the potential to negatively impact beneficiary care, we urge CMS to plan for and devote sufficient resources to critical patient monitoring activities."