HCFA says project still a go’

The Baltimore-based Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) will continue to support the proposed competitive bidding demonstration project for Medicare HMOs in Denver, says Bruce Vladeck, administrator at HCFA.

Vladeck’s statement comes on the heels of a Federal District Court ruling in May that temporarily halted the start of the demonstration project. HCFA attorneys "were surprised by the judge’s decision and are confident that the agency will prevail on the program’s merits," says Vladeck.

Vladeck notes that HCFA continues plans to announce a third site in the fall, despite the ability to begin projects in Denver and Baltimore.

Denver Circuit Court Judge Walker Miller will decide whether HCFA can continue the project or whether to convert the temporary restraining order into a preliminary injunction.