Competitive Bidding Complaints Continue
Since June 18, 2013, People for Quality Care (PQC) has collected information from beneficiaries about their experiences with the Medicare Competitive Bidding Program to better understand the impact of the program on the health and well-being of senior citizens and people with disabilities.
The Medicare Beneficiary Complaint Hotline was established out of concern that beneficiary issues caused by the competitive bidding program were not being properly reported to the public or the important decision makers who can make a difference. While CMS reports just over 30 unresolved complaints, PQC information varies greatly from that report.
Below is a snapshot of the information they gathered from frustrated medical equipment users throughout the country. This information is shared with Congress regularly.
1888 Complaints Received As of Sept 5, 2013
Each call is organized into one of 16 issue categories. The top five issues include:
1. Change of provider, including was happy with old provider and quality of care received, old provider was local to the area, being denied rights and choice, don't deserve this treatment after contributing to Medicare for so many years
2. Difficulty receiving supplies/repairs
3. Difficulty finding a new provider
4. Increased cost to beneficiary
5. Product of choice is now unavailable
States with more than 100 beneficiary complaints include New York, Florida, California, Illinois, and Texas. Complaints have been received from 45 different states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.
If you or a loved one relies on home care, chances are you understand the role of a medical equipment provider in your life. Millions of oxygen users, wheelchair users, and those who rely on a feeding tube understand that not having a reliable provider available to you greatly impacts your quality of life.
For those who do not understand this, including some Congressional members, we must work to educate them in order to prevent detrimental programs such as the Medicare Competitive Bidding Program and others from threatening patient quality of life.
The Medicare Beneficiary Complaint Hotline was established out of concern that beneficiary issues caused by the competitive bidding program were not being properly reported to the public or the important decision makers who can make a difference. While CMS reports just over 30 unresolved complaints, PQC information varies greatly from that report.
Below is a snapshot of the information they gathered from frustrated medical equipment users throughout the country. This information is shared with Congress regularly.
1888 Complaints Received As of Sept 5, 2013
- 37% of calls are general frustration about losing access to a provider of choice
- 63% of calls relate to a specific problem resulting from the program that inhibits access to medical equipment and service
- 67% of callers choose to be transferred to the congressional switchboard
- Busiest week (7/29/13) = 54 complaints per day
- Average weekday since July 1 = 44 complaints per day
Each call is organized into one of 16 issue categories. The top five issues include:
1. Change of provider, including was happy with old provider and quality of care received, old provider was local to the area, being denied rights and choice, don't deserve this treatment after contributing to Medicare for so many years
2. Difficulty receiving supplies/repairs
3. Difficulty finding a new provider
4. Increased cost to beneficiary
5. Product of choice is now unavailable
States with more than 100 beneficiary complaints include New York, Florida, California, Illinois, and Texas. Complaints have been received from 45 different states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.
If you or a loved one relies on home care, chances are you understand the role of a medical equipment provider in your life. Millions of oxygen users, wheelchair users, and those who rely on a feeding tube understand that not having a reliable provider available to you greatly impacts your quality of life.
For those who do not understand this, including some Congressional members, we must work to educate them in order to prevent detrimental programs such as the Medicare Competitive Bidding Program and others from threatening patient quality of life.
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