Durable medical equipment suppliers' efforts to delay or cancel competitive bidding were for naught this year, as at press time the program is slated to take effect Jan. 1. If your patients reside in one of the nine competitive bidding areas, you can find a contract supplier by going to
www.Medicare.gov/supplier and choosing your zip code and product category. A full list of contract bidders also is at
www.cms.gov/DMEPOSCompetitiveBid/01A2_Contract_Supplier_Lists.asp. The American Association for Homecare and National Association for Independent Medical Equipment Suppliers are collecting bid feedback to report problems to policymakers. Already "stakeholders in the home medical equipment and services community have gathered a growing body of evidence regarding problems with the Round One rebidding process," AAHomecare says.