The Incidental Economist

There is so much that can be done to curb spending and not destroy choice in the industry. There remain areas that are abused and exploited and need reform but the problem is our lawmakers tend to throw the baby out with the bath water, Instead of targeting insane advertising campaigns by cherry picking dealers, pushing everything from diabetic supplies, catheters, impotence devices and motorized wheelchairs, they go after grandma’s local and often rural full service medical equipment supplier with over regulation and unfair competitive bidding advantages. They subsidize insurance companies like Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Humana and United Healthcare through Medicare Advantage plans that then exclude local independent often rural providers from participation leaving the patient with no choice. They should allow the independent provider who has met all state and federal requirements including accreditation, bonding and licensure the opportunity to work under the new system as a participating provider willing to accept the negotiated competitive bid rates and tell the insurance companies who are subsidized by tax dollars they must accept any willing Medicare provider into their networks. Otherwise there will be no choice remaining in this industry and no great American dream for many honest hardworking independent providers.