Inside CMS Article on the CRE Interactive Public Docket

 Inside CMS has written a comprehensive article in its May 27, edition, entitled “CRE Interactive Site Offers Venue For Debate On Competitive Bidding. The article makes the following points:

·        Stakeholders hoping to influence CMS’ restart of its controversial durable medical equipment competitive bidding effort now have a new outlet: An interactive, online “docket” unveiled Wednesday (May 27) by a veteran lobbyist who headed the Office of Management and Budget’s regulatory affairs shop during the Reagan administration.

·        Jim Tozzi, now on the Board of Advisors for the Center for Regulatory Effectiveness, said CRE’s Interactive Public Docket (IPD) will allow those affected by a rule to comment after the rule has been finalized, in addition to before a rule’s implementation. “The world changes fast …you can’t have a static docket,” he told Inside CMS during an interview about the Web-based docket.

    The interactive docket allows a stakeholder to directly comment on another stakeholder’s post on the Web site, to interact online in a “discussion forum” about a particular rule or regulation and to e-mail CRE with comments that CRE can then highlight or expand upon, he said.

Editors Note:  CRE Interactive Public Docket available at http://www.thecre.com/blog/