Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report Examines Recent Developments Related to Medicare

• Competitive bidding program: House members on Monday in a letter asked leaders of the House Ways and Means Committee and the Health Subcommittee to pass legislation to delay for one year the first phase of a competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment under Medicare, The Hill reports. In the letter, 132 House members wrote, "We are very concerned that the suppliers will not be able to meet the needs of the Medicare beneficiaries" (Young, The Hill, 6/3). They added, "The vast majority of rejected bidders were informed that they have not submitted sufficient financial information, when in many cases, bidders have evidence they had. These rejected bidders have no appeal rights." In a statement, acting CMS Administrator Kerry Weems said, "Let's be clear about the meaning of this letter demanding at least a one-year delay in the competitive bidding program: It means at least another year in which Medicare beneficiaries and American taxpayers are overcharged, by an average of 26%, for durable Medicare equipment" and "at least another year in which our beneficiaries will not have the assurance of accredited and financially sound suppliers providing this vital equipment and these services" (Johnson, CQ HealthBeat, 6/4).
  
  
• Mental health services: Bills (S 1715, HR 1571) that would reduce copayments for mental health services under Medicare would improve access for beneficiaries and reduce their risk for suicide, suicide prevention advocates said on Tuesday at a briefing CQ HealthBeat reports. The legislation would reduce copays for outpatient mental health services from 50% to 20% of the cost over five years. According to Jerry Reed -- executive director of the Suicide Prevention Action Network USA, which hosted the briefing -- suicide among elderly individuals is a public health problem in the U.S. Yeates Conwell of the SPAN USA National Scientific Advisory Council added that suicide among elderly individuals "too often flies under the radar" (Blair Wyckoff, CQ HealthBeat, 6/3).