https://www.statnews.com/2025/10/21/cms-catheter-supply-competitive-bidding/
Fifteen years ago, I almost died because of the wrong catheter. I was hospitalized with sepsis after being forced to use products that didn’t meet my medical needs. It took years to find the right catheter — the one that protects my health, gives me independence, and allows me to live fully.
🌟 I’m honored to share that my first op-ed was published in STAT — one of the most respected health policy publications in the country, with over 2 million readers including national media, policymakers, and industry leaders.
This isn’t just a personal milestone. It’s a call to action to protect millions of patients whose lives depend on the right medical supplies.
🧠 WHAT’S HAPPENING
On November 1, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will add urological, ostomy, and tracheostomy supplies to its national competitive bidding program.
On paper, it’s pitched as a cost-cutting, fraud-fighting move. In reality, it would:
🌿 Strip away patient choice
🌿 Limit access to essential products
🌿 Force lower-quality substitutions
🌿 Increase infection, hospitalization, and death risks
♿ WHY THIS MATTERS
I live with a C6 spinal cord injury and rely on specialized catheter supplies every single day. The difference between the right product and the wrong one is the difference between independence and a medical emergency.
This policy endangers millions — including but not limited to:
🌿 People with bladder cancer
🌿 People with multiple sclerosis
🌿 People with spina bifida
🌿 Older adults
🌿 People with a wide range of disabilities and complex medical needs
When CMS tried this decades ago, suppliers disappeared, access shrank, and patients were harmed. Congress carved these products out of competitive bidding for a reason. The evidence hasn’t changed. The stakes are the same.
💬 WHY THIS OP-ED MATTERS
I’ve lived these consequences. I’ve buried friends whose lives were cut short because of inadequate access to the right medical supplies.
Being published in STAT News isn’t just a professional honor — it’s a platform to sound the alarm on a dangerous policy.
Fraud is real, but punishing patients and legitimate suppliers isn’t the solution. This policy won’t stop criminals. It will only make it harder to get the products patients need to stay alive.
📣 WHAT YOU CAN DO
This isn’t a niche issue. It affects millions of Americans — and whether medically complex people are treated like human beings or numbers on a spreadsheet.
👉 Read my full op-ed here: https://www.statnews.com/2025/10/21/cms-catheter-supply-competitive-bidding/
👉 Share this post to raise awareness
👉 Tag legislators, healthcare leaders, and advocacy organizations who need to understand what’s at stake
Patient safety should never be up for auction.