(Washington, DC) — U.S. Congressman Jason Altmire (PA-04) today issued the following statement on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ announcement about its competitive bidding program. On Monday, Congressman Altmire led a letter to CMS with 119 co-signers asking for data about how competitive bidding would impact small businesses. Congressman Altmire has also co-sponsored the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment Act (H.R. 1845), which would allow all eligible suppliers to provide equipment and services at the lower competitive bid rate established by CMS, even if they were not originally awarded contracts through competitive bidding.

“There’s no doubt DME competitive bidding looks good on paper, but I am still concerned about the long-term implications of the program. CMS’s implementation of DME competitive bidding could still compromise patient care and the quality service provided by small, local home medical suppliers. I look forward to continuing to work with CMS to ensure adequate small business participation.”