Medicare Beneficiaries: The Ultimate Watchdogs
There are various organizations, including CMS, which focus on protecting the rights of Medicare beneficiaries. The advocates for beneficiary rights which are the most avid, forceful and knowledgeable, however, are the beneficiaries themselves.

The following are excerpts from a few of the comments received on the Center for Regulatory Effectiveness's hotline for Medicare beneficiaries who receive home medical equipment, 1-800-613-7678. The beneficiaries are concerned that competitive bidding will harm their choice of medical equipment suppliers, the quality of supplies and services received, and their quality of life. The transcripts and original audio recordings of the following calls are available on the Competitive Bidding IPD Discussion Forum.

"I'm a Vietnam veteran. I fought for freedom. Why am I losing my freedom to choose where I want my medical supplies and how to use it. ... Please, help me and help all the other people and veterans." (Elyria, OH)

"I'm 84 years old and I've been getting diabetic shoes and other diabetic things to help me... And I can't see. Another thing that the government has to stick their nose in. ... They don't have to worry. Their perks add up to more than what some people make to live on. These people ought to be ashamed to look at themselves in the mirror. ... And they ought to get out of telling people what they can and can't do, especially the elderly and the crippled and people like that. And that's what I have to say." (Zelienople, PA)

"I'm 90 years old, and my man brings the oxygen tanks, the oxygen, and helps me watch my breathing and my oxygen content. And if that law passes, I will die because I will be unable to handle the tubing and the oxygen." (Denver, CO)

"I'm calling in regards to congresses proposed bill of competitive bidding for Medicare beneficiaries and I would definitely be against that simply because you end up with a monopoly or a congressman's buddy gets the bid and you end up with lousy care because once you become a monopoly you could care less what happens to the consumer because you answer to nobody. Just like AIG and the banks and everybody else and I would definitely be against that and that would be very bad for Medicare for me as a Medicare recipient." (Sodus, MI)

See CRE Competitive Bidding website