Medicare Competitive Acquisition: Implications for Persons with Diabetes

Authors

Sara J. Rosenbaum, George Washington UniversityFollow
Avi Dor, George Washington UniversityFollow
Brad Finnegan, George Washington UniversityFollow
Emily Jones, George Washington UniversityFollow

Document Type

Report

Publication Date

6-16-2008

Keywords

Chronic Diseases and Conditions

Abstract

Nearly one in five Medicare beneficiaries has diabetes and these patients face major challenges in managing their health. The high diabetes rate among beneficiaries also means that the Medicare program itself is highly vulnerable to the high costs of uncontrolled diabetes. As a result, great care must be taken when implementing any new cost containment strategy that has the potential to disrupt access to preventive health care. This is particularly in the case of the Medicare Competitive Acquisition Program for Durable Medical Equipment and Supplies (DMEPOS), because of its potential impact on access to products needed for a basic preventive service, diabetes testing supplies. Yet despite these concerns over both beneficiary health and program costs, the DMEPOS program, as it is now being implemented, lacks the types of basic patient safeguards considered standard in competitive bidding arrangements such as Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D.

Comments

Also available on the National Community Pharmacists Association website at: http://www.ncpanet.org/pdf/leg/dmegwustudy.pdf.

Funder: Diabetes Access Coalition.

APA Citation

Rosenbaum, S., Dor, A., Finnegan, B., & Jones, E. (2008). Medicare competitive acquisition: Implications for persons with diabetes. Washington, D.C.: Department of Health Policy, School of Public Health and Health Services, The George Washington University.

Open Access

1