John Barrasso

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Senator Barrasso Slams Medicare Waste

Mismanagement derails Medicare B drug program

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator John Barrasso , R-Wyo., slammed the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for mismanagement and appalling waste of the Medicare Part B Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP).

Senator Barrasso, an orthopedic surgeon, cited administrative hassles, burdensome drug transportation rules, and vendor delivery problems for wasting taxpayer funds and complicating the delivery of medical services.

“It is well past time that Washington bureaucrats started treating taxpayer dollars like the money in their personal checkbooks,” Barrasso said.

“When emergencies, illnesses, or major household repairs occur in our families, we find a way to pay the bill.  We look at our budgets, tighten our belts, and find alternative places to save.  We eliminate luxury items and stop wasteful spending.  Washington must do the same.”

The Competitive Acquisition Program, launched in July 2006, was created as an alternative to the usual payment system for Part B drugs, which are typically injected or infused in the physician’s office.  The program will be suspended as of January 2009.

Senator Barrasso singled out Cheyenne ophthalmologist, Dr Randy Johnston who signed up for the program in the hope of spending more time with patients and less time with red tape.  Within three months he was begging to be released from the CAP Program because of the inefficient Washington bureaucracy.

“ Washington bureaucrats who have never been on the front lines treating Medicare patients developed this program.  They failed to consider the needs of rural patients or health care providers.  The result is a wasteful, complicated system that deprives the people of Wyoming of often urgent health care,” Barrasso said.

Washington bureaucrats claim they are considering alternative ways to improve the program.

“The new Administration has a tremendous opportunity to learn from Dr. Randy Johnston and the 4,200 other participating doctors.  Rather than hamstring providers, perhaps Washington should start to focus its efforts on eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in the Medicare system.”