What Pro2 is Up2

Beneficiaries, caregivers, and health care professionals from around the country have been calling People for Quality Care's Complaint Hotline to discuss the issues they're experiencing as a result of the Medicare Competitive Bidding Program.

So far, they've fielded more than 900 calls which has resulted in over 400 complaints being categorized and sent to Congress and Medicare Ombudsmen!

The most frequent complaint heard so far is general disgust over the need to change providers. See the table below for a full breakdown of the complaints received to date.



The most powerful weapon in the fight against the recent changes to home medical equipment policies for Medicare beneficiaries is you.

Are you a Medicare beneficiary or caregiver? Do you have a Medicare complaint that needs to be heard?



The Medicare Complaint Hotline was created so you can share your concerns and complaints with Congress and important Medicare officials. People for Quality Care's Medicare complaint reports will be sent biweekly to those officials who have the power to amend the program and return choice and access to better equipment and service to those who need it most.

If you have a Medicare complaint, please call the Medicare Complaint Hotline at 800-404-8702 today and make your voice heard.

We've worked long and hard behind the scenes on something that we're proud to finally reveal... introducing Snooze News!

Snooze News is our very own e-newsletter for our patients receiving CPAP, BiPAP, and AutoPAP therapies. It's emailed to patients about once every month- the inaugural newsletter having just gone out last week.

We're filling it with educational articles and tidbits to help make using PAP therapy easier for you. Plus we're adding information on the latest advancements in the field including product advancements, and you'll even find coupons and discounts, too!

To sign up to receive Snooze News, click this link and fill out the form. We'll add your name to our mailing list. [Keep in mind that since our e-newsletter is sent out monthly, it may be a few weeks before you receive one.]

According to a new study, people with obstructive sleep apnea are more likely to comply with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment if they go to bed at a regular time each night.

The study, conducted by the Penn State University School of Nursing, found an association between increased regularity in bedtime and greater compliance with using CPAP. The results indicate that regularity of bedtime before and during CPAP use may be a new opportunity for health care providers to address the problem of non-adherence to CPAP.

For more information related to this study, please click here.

The results of the Round 2 competitive bidding program are raising red flags when it comes to patient care. This program will go into effect on July 1, 2013, so the time to speak out is now.

People for Quality Care analyzed 17 Competitive Bidding Areas (CBAs) throughout the country and found that on average, bid-winning medical equipment providers were located more than 500 miles from the center of that geographic area. Senior citizens and people with disabilities throughout the CBA will be required to get their medical equipment from far away.

This leads to many concerns by beneficiaries and People for Quality Care that medical equipment will be delivered to beneficiaries without assistance from a professionally trained provider. Interviews of beneficiaries from Round 1 already show that, in some areas of the country, providers are spending less time inside the homes of beneficiaries. That time, used to instruct the patient how to use and maintain the equipment, is no longer available because of an influx of Medicare patients assigned to providers in larger delivery areas. Here are some of their other concerns:

• Delays in receiving equipment will disrupt the health and lives of beneficiaries and caregivers.
• Delays in receiving equipment will cause increased visits to the ER or hospitalization.
• The trusting, personal relationship formed between beneficiary and provider will be gone.

The graphs below summarize their analysis, which includes the following bidding areas:

Wichita, KS, Colorado Springs, CO, Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO, Salt Lake City, UT, Milwaukee- Waukesha - West Allis, WI, Minneapolis - St. Paul - Bloomington, MN-WI, Omaha, Council Bluffs, NE-IA, Detroit-Warren-Liyonia, MI, Flint, MI, Grand Rapids - Wyoming, MI, Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA, Augusta - Richmond County, GA-SC, Chattanooga, TN-GA, Central - Chicago Metro CBA, Northern - Chicago Metro CBA, Southwest - Chicago Metro CBA, St. Louis, MO

It's not too late to voice your opinion about this issue. After the graphs is a link for you to contact your Congress person in support of H.R. 1717.





Take Action!

H.R. 1717, the Market Pricing Program Act of 2013, was introduced by Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) and Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), and it needs support. The bill will repeal the current competitive bidding program that is causing a variety of problems for Medicare beneficiaries and replace it with the Market Pricing Program (MPP). The MPP will create better access to medical equipment and service. Read more about the Market Pricing Program.

Please take a moment to email your representative now and ask them to sign the bill. It's as easy as 1-2-3.

1. Click on this link.
2. Review the letter and add your own opinions if you like.
3. Add your personal information and send.

Reprinted with permission from People for Quality Care.

Using CPAP has many benefits, some of which we've documented right here on the blog already: no more snoring; getting a good night's sleep; lowering the risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attack, and stroke; and an overall improvement in one's quality of life.

But new benefits are always surfacing due to studies being conducted and released. In December we told you that using CPAP may reduce one's sensitivity to pain.

Another study was just released last month showing that CPAP therapy may actually help asthma patients. Asthma is characterized by airway hyperreactivity and is treated primarily with bronchodilators and anti-inflammatory agents.

In the study, adults with stable asthma were given CPAP to use for 7 nights. A control group was also used. The study revealed that those who had used CPAP therapy had a significant decrease in airway reactivity. [Meaning, their sensitivity to stimuli and response to sensitive stimuli decreased.]

Further studies will indicate whether or not using CPAP may decrease asthma symptoms and help lessen the need for asthma medication. Click here to read the full study.