The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) has saved the Medicare Fee-for-Service program approximately $202.11 million in its first year of implementation, a percentage drop in expenditures of more than 42 percent in the nine markets currently participating in the program, according to an update released by CMS on April 17, 2012. The study goes on to state that CMS real-time claims monitoring has found no disruption in access to needed supplies for Medicare beneficiaries, and there have been no negative healthcare consequences to beneficiaries as a result of competitive bidding. CMS claims monitoring results are supported by the fact that the agency has largely received routine beneficiary or caregiver inquiries with only minimal complaints.
In 2013, the program will be expanded to an additional 91 metropolitan areas and a national mail-order program for diabetic testing supplies.
The report is available for viewing on the CMS website.
