Longtime HME industry congressional ally Rep. Tom Price (R. Ga.) told members of the Georgia Association of Medical Equipment Suppliers that competitive bidding is unsustainable and must be fixed by the end of the year.
Addressing attendees at the annual GAMES conference, held Aug. 16-18, Dr. Price assured the group he understood that without correction, more providers will likely close their businesses when competitive bidding rates are extended to rural areas on Jan. 1, 2016.
The lawmaker and his staff are working towards combining language in the Senate to address problems rural areas will face with a four-year phased in implementation of competitive bidding prices in rural areas. He also discussed his idea to fix competitive bidding entirely with the Market Pricing Program that would put a true auction system in place of the current program.
Price advised the GAMES members that providers must continue their efforts as an industry to educate members of Congress on the issues of competitive bidding. He is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, and he encouraged providers to reach out to their elected officials, especially those on House Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees.
“As a state organization it is imperative that we reach out and nurture our relationships with our elected officials to protect the DME providers of our state,” said Tyler Riddle, president of GAMES and vice president of MRS Homecare, as he discussed the importance of being engaged with Congress. “The Georgia association is lucky enough to be represented by industry champion Dr. Tom Price. As always we are thrilled to host Dr. Price and are thankful for his understanding of how HME truly helps beneficiaries.”