Medicare Misgivings

Some local business owners who say they were unfairly eliminated from Medicare's new bidding system for medical supplies have been banding together in opposition to the program.

It appears that Congress is listening. The House of Representatives could soon be considering a bill to delay the implementation of the program, which goes into effect July 1 in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, by 18 months. Ten metropolitan areas across the nation will be affected.

Elected officials, including Rep. Joe Baca (D-San Bernardino), and local business owners have expressed concerns that the program will hurt patients overall, by denying them the same access to care that they received previously. They allege contracts were given to companies that have either no experience providing the services they are contracted for and/or are not based in the communities they will be serving.

Some of the supply companies affected by the Medicare change provide diabetic supplies, oxygen therapy and power wheelchairs.

Medicare maintains that the change in the way it selects companies will help save money.

As for the list of Congressional representatives who have expressed concerns, here's some of them:

- Sen. Arlen Specter

- Sen. Robert P. Casey, Jr.

- Sen.George Voinovich

- Sen. Pat Roberts

- Sen. Richard Burr

- Sen. John Cornyn

- Sen.Johnny Isakson

- Sen. Jim Demint

- Rep. Jason Altmire

- Rep. John Tanner

- Rep. Steve Chabot

- Rep. David Hobson