The Centers for Medicare & medicaid services (CMS) has announced the contract suppliers for the first round of the Medicare durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) competitive bidding program. The competitive bidding program will offer beneficiaries in the designated competitive bidding areas (CBAs) access to quality DMEPOS products and services with lower out-of-pocket costs.

As a result of the competitive bidding process, the amounts that Medicare will pay for the 10 product categories included in Round 1 of the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program overall average 26% less than Medicare’s previous payment amounts. Savings for beneficiary out-of-pocket cost and Medicare range from 14% on negative pressure wound therapy devices and accessories up to as much as 43% on mail order diabetic supplies. beneficiaries in these CBAs will begin seeing these savings on July 1, 2008.
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This tool provides you with information on how well the hospitals care for all their adult patients with certain conditions or procedures. This information will help you compare the quality of care hospitals provide as the measures show how often hospitals provide some of the care that is recommended for patients being treated for a heart attack, heart failure or pneumonia, or patients having surgery. This tool also displays the Survey of Patients’ Hospital Experiences, using data collected from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare providers and Systems (HCAHPS) Survey. Information on inpatient hospital payment information and the number of Medicare patients treated (volume) for certain illnesses are also displayed.
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Beginning this summer, Michigan physicians and hospitals will be able to go online to check eligibility and benefit information for people with Traditional Medicare coverage.
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A new report finds big gaps in Medicare’s ability to deal with modern health problems.
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In testimony today before the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, the American Association for Homecare urged Congress to suspend a controversial, flawed Medicare bidding program for home medical equipment, calling it “a train wreck.
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AARP this week launches a new round of grassroots outreach and advertising throughout the country as a part of its effort to Keep Medicare Fair.
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The House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee on Tuesday plans to hold a hearing on a Medicare competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment, CQ HealthBeat reports.
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Healthways , which changes the financial performance target for both its Initial Cohort and Refresh Cohort to budget neutrality from 5.0% net savings and 2.5% net savings, respectively….
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