Congressmen Glenn "GT" Thompson (R-PA) and Bruce Braley (D-IA) held a press conference yesterday,  announcing their bipartisan letter to CMS Administrator Tavenner to delay the July 1st implementation of Medicare's bidding program. The letter was co-signed by a total 227 U.S. Representatives, a majority in the House.

The HME industry has developed a "Home Medical Equipment and Supplies Hotline" to capture patient access problems and complaints resulting from Medicare's flawed bidding program.

The toll free phone number is 1-855-322-8295.

Please begin promoting the number to patients, caregivers and the healthcare community.

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Last week, providers of diabetic testing supplies began receiving phone calls from confused Medicare beneficiaries, in response to a letter they received from CMS about the National Mail Order program.

The first issue is that the letter implies access and savings, but fails to mention that only a limited number of suppliers were awarded contracts in the bidding program.

The AAHomecare Washington Legislative Conference is your opportunity to make your case to Congress and discuss how the soon-to-expand-nationwide Medicare bidding program and other administrative actions affect your patients and your business. For two days in May, you need to come to Washington and become a lobbyist to fight for and protect the homecare community.