The ITEM Coalition is surveying people with disabilities and chronic conditions to assess whether they are experiencing problems with accessing the devices they need to function independently in everyday life. Specifically, ITEM is interested in medical device and assistive technology users that live in areas where Medicare has implemented a selective provider contracting program known as the DME Competitive Bidding Program. They want to find out how access to devices and services is being impacted by this program.
Please share the link below with your consumer lists asking for any Medicare beneficiary to respond and also share with other service providers who could get the survey link to Medicare beneficiaries they serve. All Medicare beneficiaries who use assistive devices are encouraged to respond, even if they live outside of a bidding area.
There is a spot in the survey for a respondent to indicate they received the survey through the State AT Program. Let folks know that they should check that choice (e.g. State AT Program is you.) Any information shared about the identity of the respondents will be kept strictly confidential, and only shared with the respondent’s permission.
Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YJH57CK
Thanks so much for sharing this information. The results will be extremely helpful in detailing the problems with competitive bidding and providing justification for implementing alternatives to better meet the needs of individuals with disabilities.
