Medicare Beneficiary Satisfaction with Durable Medical Equipment Suppliers

CMS has recently launched a series of initiatives to control Medicare spending on durable medical equipment (DME) and prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS). An important question is how these initiatives will affect beneficiary satisfaction. Using survey data, we analyze Medicare beneficiary satisfaction with DMEPOS suppliers in two Florida counties. Our results show that beneficiaries are currently highly satisfied with their DMEPOS suppliers. Beneficiary satisfaction is positively related to rapid delivery, training, dependability, and frequency of service. Results of our analysis can be used as baseline estimates in evaluating CMS initiatives to reduce Medicare payments for DMEPOS.