Medicare notifications in the mail

Published Friday, Nov. 12, 2010

Recipients of original Medicare should keep an eye out for letters arriving soon from the federal government explain a new program designed to reduce the cost of medical equipment such as walkers, wheelchairs and oxygen supplies.

The Department of Health and Human Services along with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began mailing out letters Wednesday along with a brochure explaining what Medicare 's new competitive bidding program is about and where to get answers to questions.

"Some people may very well have (letters) in their hand now," said David Sayen, regional administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Medicare is launching its competitive bidding program Jan. 1 in a handful of regions across the nation including the Inland Empire.

Affected will be original Medicare recipients living in southwestern San Bernardino and western Riverside counties.

Under the program suppliers of items such as hospital beds, wheelchairs, walkers, oxygen equipment and mail order diabetic testing supplies submitted bids to Medicare .

Starting in January successful bidders will provide medical equipment to beneficiaries at prices about 30 percent below current costs.

The new system is also expected to reduce fraud.

Medicare released the names of the successful bidders last week and is now focusing on outreach efforts that include notifying beneficiaries along with doctors, hospital discharge planners, social workers and others who work with recipients in need of medical equipment.

As part of Medicare 's outreach efforts to recipients it has bolstered its customer services.

"We have put additional people on the 1-800 line," Sayen said.

English- and Spanish-speaking customer service representatives prepared to answer questions about the program will be available, he said.

In addition, an ombudsman will be available to work with suppliers, Sayen said.

Some Medicare recipients may have questions as to whether their supplier is part of the program, he said. Recipients should contact their supplier to find out if it is participating in the program.

In some cases suppliers may be interested in continuing to provide a client services for several months until their equipment agreements conclude, Sayen said.

"But those suppliers have to tell us if they want to be grandfathered in," he said.

Organizations such as Inland Agency, which provides the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program, or HICAP, to Medicare beneficiaries living in San Bernardino, Riverside, Inyo and Mono counties, have geared for an expected increase in calls from Medicare beneficiaries with questions about the new program, said Sandra Corbitt, program manager for Inland Agency's HICAP program.

"We're kind of bracing ourselves for it," Corbitt said.

The organization has prepared its Medicare counselors to handle questions by phone and in one-on-one meetings with beneficiaries, Corbitt said.

"We are also increasing our outreach efforts," she said.

Among those outreach efforts is the Medicare Annual Enrollment "Kick-Off Event" taking place from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday at the James Brulte Senior Center, 11200 Base Line Road in Rancho Cucamonga.

The event will bring together experts in Medicare from agencies such as Inland Agency's HICAP, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Social Security Administration to one location.

All will be prepared to answer questions on various Medicare programs - including the new the durable medical equipment competitive bidding program - at the free event, Corbitt said.

FYI

Original Medicare beneficiaries can find information on suppliers and the new competitive bidding program by going to www. medicare .gov and clicking on "Find Suppliers and Medical Equipment," entering their ZIP code and then clicking on the yellow icon with the word "New" in it. Beneficiaries can also call 1-800-633-4227. TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.

To reach Inland Agency's HICAP program call 1-800-434-0222.