New PAOC Meets June 4
Committee will be sworn in and will meet for first time since CMS's IFR.
CMS's new Program Advisory and Oversight Committee (PAOC) will be sworn in and meet on June 4 in Baltimore, Md. for the first time since CMS issued its interim final rule to begin rebidding round one of competitive bidding.
The committee is designed to advise CMS on the competitive bidding program. MIPPA extended the PAOC for two years, through Dec. 31 2011, so CMS created a new membership for the board.
The board includes various industry representatives, including Walter Gorski, AAHomecare's lobbyist and vice president for Government Affairs.
“Because of the expertise represented on the PAOC, it should be an influential voice in shaping the bidding program,” said AAHomecare President Tyler Wilson. “We hope that CMS and the Obama administration will listen to the advice and suggestions of the PAOC. We recommend that HME stakeholders monitor these meetings, and some participants at our June Legislative Conference may want to stay in the area extra day to attend the PAOC.”
The PAOC's full membership roster:
Peter Amico
President
Prime Care Medical Supplies Inc.
Kendra Betz
Prosthetics Clinical Coordinator
Prosthetics and Sensory Aids Service
Department of Veterans Affairs
Richard Boulger
Director, Business Solutions Center
University of Iowa
Dr. Doran Edwards
Chief Operating Officer
Advanced Healthcare Consulting, LLC
Dr. Sue EIHessen
Consultant/Professor/Trainer
American with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Careers Unlimited Inc.
Joseph F. Furlong III
President/CEO
American HomePatient
Walter Gorski
Vice President Government Affairs
American Association for HomeCare
Rita Hostak
Vice President, Government Relations
Sunrise Medical, Inc.
Thomas J. Jeffers
Vice President Government Affairs
Hill-Rom, Inc.
Ruben J. King-Shaw, Jr.
Chairman/CEO
All-Med Services of Florida, Inc and
Clinical Medical Services, Inc. Puerto Rico
Ann Kohler
Executive Director
National Association of State Medicaid Directors
Jeffrey Mansell
Compliance Officer
Drugs and Medical Devices Group
Texas Department of State Health Services
Dr. Sharad Mansukani
Chief Strategic Officer
NationsHealth Inc.
Thomas Milam
General Manager/Chief Operating Officer
AmMed Direct, LLC
Barbara Rogers
President/CEO
National Emphysema/
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Association
Esta E. Willman
Owner/Chief Executive Officer
Medi-Source Equipment & Supply
Dr. Debra Zak
Executive Director, Home Care Accreditation Programs
The Joint Commission