Monday, September 20, 2010

Whitfield Shines Light on Flawed Medicare Bidding Program

The Journal Enterprise, in Kentucky, reports that U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield (KY-01) stood up for Kentucky seniors and taxpayers today, raising questions over the effectiveness of a Medicare competitive bidding program.

The article quotes Whitfield as saying, “"While I agree that we need to find ways to reduce Medicare costs, I have concerns that the current competitive bidding pilot program is poorly designed and there is real concern that the entire program could collapse under its own weight, reducing the number of home care providers in rural areas, as well as increasing costs."

Whitfield is a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, which held a hearing on September 15 on competitive bidding. As The Journal reports, Whitfield has been an opponent of the program, citing concerns over the impact it has on local suppliers as well as beneficiaries.

Click here to read the full Journal article. To view video of Whitfield speaking at the hearing, visit the Congressman's YouTube page at http://www.youtube.com/WhitfieldKY01.

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