Political cartoons elevate the absurd and allow us to laugh at our worst fears. In a departure from our traditional cover, we use the art form here to elicit a smile and illustrate the kernel of truth in the lecherous faces of fat cat politicians. (Any resemblance to Rep Bill Thomas [R-Calif] is purely coincidental—but I digress.) We hope the conversation on this month’s cover is pure whimsy, but you know the essence of the exchange is all too real.

More than a month after the 200-plus page Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) marked the opening salvo on competitive bidding, the industry is predictably swirling with unanswered questions. For those of you who have already read the 203-page document, then you know it is literally crying out for comment. In fact, “comment” may be too tame a word—perhaps a scolding would be more in order. The good news is that you have until June 30 to get your scolding in via e-mail, snail mail, fax, or carrier pigeon. Then again, you could drop it off in person when you attend the June 19-20 AAHomecare Legislative Conference. Pick one, but don’t let the opportunity pass you by.

If you’ve been too busy making a living (imagine that) to read the NPRM, then flip to page 42 (Our Turn) of this issue for a concise briefing from Cara Bachenheimer and David T. Williams. Our faithful columnists once again do not mince words as they outline four major scolding points that will really chap your hide: 1) CMS intends to include information from unqualified bidders in calculating the winning bid amount; 2) A new concept of “consumer rebates” clashes with established health law that prohibits suppliers from offering beneficiary inducements; 3) the products to be included in the competitive acquisition program are still unknown, which makes it tougher to gauge costs and prepare properly; and 4) the Metro-politan Statistical Areas are still a secret. If that is not enough to get your e-mail humming, check out page 8 (Legislative Watch by Ann Howard) and page 12 (Industry News) to hear more experts sound off. If you have never contacted CMS, then this is surely the golden moment.

Meanwhile, HR 3559 (Hobson-Tanner Bill) has thickened the plot by surging past the 100 mark for cosponsors. While the industry goal of 200 is still a ways off, it is impressive nonetheless. Yet another legislative remedy (HR 4994) pushed by the National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology would exclude complex rehabilitation products and assistive technology products from national competitive bidding.

Both of these initiatives could throw satisfying wrenches into the gears. Ultimately, it all points to a contentious summer in a pivotal year. Stay active, keep fighting, and stay tuned. DP