The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services want to include ostomy and urological supplies in the next round of competitive bidding to cut Medicare costs. “Competitive bidding” means that suppliers must compete to see who can provide supplies at the lowest price, which will likely push smaller suppliers out of business.
“The competitive bidding plan that CMS proposed will make all the personal relationships with local suppliers go away,” says Kent Keyser, United Spinal Association Public Policy Fellow. “The number of products will greatly decrease, and the quality will decrease. If you can no longer get the catheter that best optimizes your health, UTIs and other infections, emergency room visits, hospitalizations and deaths will increase — right along with healthcare costs.”
Kent, a quadriplegic, says CMS also plans to require supplies to be mailed. “So, they are relying on the U.S. Postal Service to be 100% correct and on time with your deliveries. Otherwise, without your supplies, your health is threatened big time.”
Help oppose this policy!
We need as many individuals as possible to generate and submit to CMS as many unique comment letters as possible opposing this dangerous policy before the comment submission deadline, August 29, 2025.
Submit comments via the Federal Register
Contact advocacy@unitedspinal.org if you have any questions.
Please share your personal story about how satisfied you are with your current suppliers. If you have a local supplier that you trust and rely on for advice about new or more hygienic products, let us know how you value that personal contact. Especially, tell us about suppliers who have gone above and beyond to help you with an order or delivery issue.
Sample Talking Points
Here are some ideas on what you may want to include in your comments. It is critical to submit comments that are UNIQUE, or they will not be counted. Please do not copy and paste these talking points. Use your own words to highlight your opposition.
- Position—Oppose adding ostomy and urological supplies to future rounds of the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program (CBP).
- The Medicare CBP was created to lower Medicare spending on selected medical equipment and supplies by forcing suppliers to compete for limited contracts in designated areas.
- The CBP can reduce reimbursement levels, which impacts copayments. It also limits beneficiaries to using only contracted suppliers, which restricts access, choice of items, and quality of care.
- Ostomy and urological supplies are carefully tailored to meet each patient’s unique and often complex medical needs.
- Proper use of these supplies reduces the risk of complications such as infections and skin breakdown—common issues that often lead to emergency care or hospital admissions.
- Empowering patients with a broader selection of appropriate supplies is essential to ensuring personalized care, promoting independence, and preventing avoidable health complications.
- Under CMS’s proposed rule, the number of contract suppliers would be dramatically reduced, disrupting the connection between patients and local suppliers.
- Limiting the number of contract suppliers would limit patient choice and compromise continuity of care. This may lead to inadequate and cheaper supplies, loss of choice of brand-named products, increased discomfort, and a higher risk of complications such as skin irritation and infections.
- These complications often result in increased hospitalizations, longer recovery times, and higher overall healthcare costs–jeopardizing patient adherence to treatment regimens and diminishing overall satisfaction with care.
- Unsustainably low pricing pressures may discourage innovation within the industry and will drive suppliers to prioritize the lowest-cost, lowest-quality products. This dynamic can restrict access to the most clinically suitable and effective medical supplies.