Attention US O&P Professionals, patients, and others… the following
information is
extremely important. Please take the appropriate actions to distribute the
information
and contact the congress members listed at the end of the letter and be
sure that your
voice is heard.
This message is being sent to you from the
National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics
(NAAOP).
The following Notice was sent to all NAAOP members. This an “VERY URGENT”
Message which needs your “IMMEDIATED ATTENTIION”!! If you have any specific
questions you can address them to Peter Thomas, Esq., with a post to the
following e-address: [email protected]
NAAOP Website is at http://www.oandp.com/naaop
Please share this with as many folks as you can!!
Beware The Beast
Competitive bidding for Medicare Part B has been unleashed by
the Senate after many years of discussion. An amendment tacked on to
the Senate’s Medicare reform bill last week grants HCFA the authority to
develop competitive bidding processes for all Medicare outpatient
services except physician visits. This could be the death knell of
Medicare fee-for-service! The House Ways & Means Medicare bill does
not contain this provision and a House-Senate conference committee will
decide next week whether Medicare competitive bidding survives.
If enacted, competitive bidding could rip apart the traditional
Medicare fee-for-service system by eliminating beneficiary choice of
provider which is imperative to the health of many seniors and people
with disabilities. Under the proposal, certain Medicare services —
outpatient therapies, home health care, durable medical equipment,
laboratory work, X-rays and orthotics and prosthetics — would be
contracted to the cheapest bidder in many areas of the country. For
Medicare Part B services and products that are clinically-based or
customized to each patient, competitive bidding will have a dramatic
impact on the quality of care and will interrupt long- standing
relationships between patients and providers.
Medicare competitive bidding is tantamount to establishing
government-sanctioned monopolies, where small businesses and
community-based providers get the shaft. The Congressional Budget
Office confirms that competitive bidding is not expected to save money
for the Medicare program. Given the impact of severely restricted choice
and second-rate medical care that competitive bidding will bring,
Congress should soundly reject this proposal.
**** CALL TO ACTION ****
Today, right now, please call and fax in your opposition to
Medicare competitive bidding to the Senators and Representatives who
will be negotiating the final version of this year’s Medicare reforms (see
next page). THIS REQUIRES YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. Get your
patients, employees and colleagues to draft letters as well. We literally
have less than one week to impact this decision, including the holiday.
Please deliver the following message:
1. As a provider/consumer of orthotic and prosthetic services
covered by Medicare Part B, I strongly oppose the Senate Medicare bill’s
proposal (Section 5218) to allow competitive bidding of all non-physician
Part B services.
2. Government-run competitive bidding will destroy the Medicare
fee-for-service system by drastically limiting beneficiary choice of
provider and decreasing the quality of care by awarding Medicare
contracts to the cheapest bidder. I urge you to reject completely
competitive bidding of Medicare Part B services.
Please communicate to the following members of Congress as well as
your own Senators and Congressman:
The Honorable Trent Lott The Honorable William V. Roth Jr.
Senate Majority Leader Chair, Senate Finance Committee
487 Russell Senate Office Building 104 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-6253 Phone: (202) 224-2441
Fax: (202) 224-2262 Fax: (202) 228-0354
Attention: Renee Bennett Attention: Gioia Bonmartini
The Honorable Phil Gramm The Honorable Daniel P. Moynihan
Chair, Senate Finance Health Subcom Senate Finance Committee
370 Russell Senate Office Building 464 Russell Building
Washington, DC 20510 Washigton, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2934 Phone: (202) 224-4451
Fax: (202) 228-285 Fax: (202) 228-0406
Attention: John Cerisano Attention: Fay Drummond
The Honorable Newt Gingrich The Honorable Bill Archer
Speaker, U.S. House of Representaives Chair, House W&M Committee
2428 Rayburn House Office Building 1236 Longworth Building
Washington, DC 20515 Washingon, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4501 Phone: (202) 225-2571
Fax: (202) 225-4656 Fax: (202) 225-4381
Attention: Missy Jenkins Attention: Andrew Shore
The Honorable Thomas J. Bliley, Jr. The Honorable John D. Dingell
Chair, House Commerce Committee House Commerce Committee
2409 Rayburn House Office Building 2328 Rayburn Building
Phone: (202) 225-2815 Phone: (202) 225-4071
Fax: (202) 225-0011 Fax: (202) 225-4637
Atttention: Brent Del Monte Attention: Mike Scholl
The Honorable William M. Thomas The Honorable Charles B. Rangel
Chair, House Subcommittee on Health House Ways and Means Comm
2208 Rayburn House Office Building 2354 Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2915 Phone: (202) 225-4365
Fax: (202) 225-2908 Fax: (202) 225-0816
Attention: Teresa Houser Attention: James Griffin
The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert
Chair, GOP Health Care Task Force
2241 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2976
Fax: (202) 225-0697
Attention: Bitzie Beavin
