New DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program Analysis Shows No Changes in Health Outcomes
On Sat Jan 1, 2011, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched the first phase of the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program in nine different areas of the country. Since the program's implementation, CMS has used real-time claims analysis to track groups of Medicare beneficiaries potentially affected by the program. This analysis has consistently shown that the competitive bidding program preserves beneficiary health outcomes. CMS has now released a broad-view analysis that compares the impact of the program on the general Medicare population as well as Medicare beneficiaries likely to use competitively bid equipment based on their health conditions. For these groups, it compares rates of health outcomes (such as hospitalizations, length of hospital stays, and number of emergency department visits) in the competitive bidding areas to rates in regions without competitive bidding. The new analysis enables an easier comparison between subpopulations and between areas with competitive bidding and without competitive bidding. This results in a clearer depiction of the effect of the DMEPOS competitive bidding program on Medicare beneficiaries' health outcomes. Consistent with prior analyses, we find that beneficiary health outcomes are stable in competitive bidding areas. To view the results, please visit http://www.CMS.gov/DMEPOSCompetitiveBid<http://www.cms.gov/DMEPOSCompetitiveBid>. ________________________________ It's Not too Late to Give and Get the Flu Vaccine. Take advantage of each office visit and protect your patients against the seasonal flu. Medicare will continue to pay for the seasonal flu vaccine and its administration for all Medicare beneficiaries through the entire flu season. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends that patients, healthcare workers and caregivers be vaccinated against the seasonal flu. Protect your patients. Protect your family. Protect yourself. Get the Flu Vaccine-Not the Flu. Remember - The flu vaccine plus its administration are covered Part B benefits. CMS has posted the 2011-2012 seasonal flu vaccine payment limits at http://www.CMS.gov/McrPartBDrugAvgSalesPrice/10_VaccinesPricing.asp. Note that the flu vaccine is NOT a Part D-covered drug. For more information on coverage and billing of the flu vaccine and its administration, as well as related educational provider resources, visit http://www.CMS.gov/MLNProducts/35_PreventiveServices.asp and http://www.cms.gov/immunizations. ________________________________ Note: If you have problems accessing any hyperlink in this message, please copy and paste the URL into your Internet browser. If you know someone who would like to subscribe to a Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) provider listserv, go to (http://www.cms.gov/prospmedicarefeesvcpmtgen/downloads/Provider_Listservs.pdf). If you would like to unsubscribe from a specific provider listserv, please go to (https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?INDEX) to unsubscribe or to leave the appropriate listserv. Please DO NOT respond to this email. This email is a service of CMS and routed through an electronic mail server to communicate Medicare policy and operational changes and/or updates. Responses to this email are not routed to CMS personnel. Inquiries may be sent by going to (http://www.cms.gov/ContactCMS). Thank you.
