The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a broad-view analysis that compares the impact of the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program on the general Medicare population as well as Medicare beneficiaries likely to use competitively bid equipment based on their health conditions. This analysis, which is available in the “downloads” section on the CMS Health Status Monitoring page, shows that beneficiary health outcomes are stable in competitive bidding areas over time.
Each file comprising the analysis includes a written summary of results and graphical displays of key indicators reflective of the health status of beneficiaries and their access to DMEPOS items and services. The data is derived from claims for Medicare populations in each competitive bidding area (CBA) and a corresponding “comparator” region that is similar to the CBA. CMS says it plans on continuing this surveillance and updating this information on a monthly basis.
