From: The Hill
By Gary Puckrein, Ph.D.
A report just released by the National Minority Quality Forum has found that Medicare is increasing mortality among seniors.1 It describes how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS’s) new reimbursement strategy for medical supplies puts the lives of Medicare beneficiaries at risk by disrupting access to those supplies.
Medicare currently covers a wide variety of medical supplies if they are medically necessary and prescribed by a physician. Historically, Medicare has paid for these supplies on the basis of fee schedules, but several studies have found that Medicare was overpaying for certain items on those schedules. The Competitive Bidding Program (CBP) is being initiated to remedy these overpayments.