U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi (R-OH) praised the House on Thursday for passing his bill, the Medicare Competitive Bidding Act as part of the larger Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, on a 392-37 vote.
Tiberi and co-sponsor John Larson (D-CT) originally introduced the bill as a stand-alone measure, which aims to improve the medical-equipment bidding process.
Currently, supplier bids are not binding, so if CMS provides a bidder with a contract, the bidder can either reject or accept the CMS contract. This encourages superficial, low bidding, as suppliers are not obligated to provide the products.
The Medicare Competitive Bidding Improvement Act would fix this problem by requiring supplier bids to be binding, which is expected to improve the reliability and equality of the bidding process, as people would need to be more transparent in their dealings.
“This is another positive sign that seniors who rely on things like oxygen and wheelchairs will be better-protected and have access to higher-quality supplies and equipment,” Tiberi said. “A more accountable bidding process will be created by requiring binding bids for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) durable medical equipment contracts, leading to better care and improved health outcomes for seniors.”