The Program Advisory and Oversight Committee (PAOC), which was mandated by the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 to provide advice on the development and implementation of the national competitive bidding program expired on December 31, 2011.
The PAOC was the industry’s only public forum for discussing the bid program and highlighting issues with the program. The news of its closure comes as the industry is in the middle of registration for Round Two of competitive bidding, which covers 91 metropolitan statistical areas.
Due to the delayed implementation of the competitive bidding program in 2008, the PAOC was extended for two years, changing the termination date from December 31, 2009 to December 31, 2011. The PAOC members were appointed to advise CMS as it proceeded with the restart of the competitive bidding program.
The American Association for Homecare has reported that AAHomecare Vice President of Government Affairs, Walter Gorski, has asked CMS to preserve the PAOC at least through the announcement of bid rates for Round Two. Gorski was a member of the PAOC representing the HME community until the committee’s expiration on December 31.