Home Care Associations Nationwide Urge Policymakers to Rescind Competitive Bidding Rule
In a letter sent Monday, the American Association for Homecare and 27 regional and state home care associations urged the White House Office of Health Reform and the leadership of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to review and rescind the controversial CMS competitive bidding rule before it is implemented April 18.
The argument presented by industry stakeholders is that the bidding program will lower quality and reduce access to care for seniors and people with disabilities. The organizations say that as currently designed, the program is anti-competitive and the structure bears no resemblance to earlier demonstration programs in Florida and Texas in 1997 and 1998. The current version of the bidding program is estimated to put at least 90 percent of providers — many of which are small businesses — out of work.
The letter was addressed to Charles Johnson, acting secretary of HHS; Charlene Frizzera, acting CMS administrator; and Nancy-Ann DeParle, director of the White House Office of Health Reform.