Possible Crisis
Wil Haines
Description
Collection
Title:
Possible Crisis
Creator:
Wil Haines
Date:
6/14/2018
Text:
Hello Colleagues and Guests,
Curious. Does anyone know anything about the GSA.SAM.GOV new
requirement? We have been told our SAM registration has expired. We
spent 3 hours on the phone Tuesday trying to find out what the problem
was and were told they have a backlog. As such, we are unable to do any
work for the federal government (excluding Medicare & Medicaid) until
our registration is renewed. We followed the directions, sent in an
appropriately notarized form by certified return receipt mail in a
timely manner, but were told that there is nothing they can do about our
issue until the form is reviewed. We mailed our form on May 25, 2018 and
they signed for the envelope on May 29, 2018. We have always been a
registered vendor without issues until this incident occurred. I am
writing to two Senators today to see if they can light a fire under
someone's butt at the GSA SAM office, but who knows where that request
will go. In the meantime, we are unable to take care of veterans. This
problem is with the GSA.SAM.GOV, but, to my knowledge, it does affect
the VA and all other federal programs that are paid for by the federal
government. I now have an approved VA request for a service connected
amputee veteran who I've seen for the past 20 years waiting until the
GSA.SAM.GOV folks can wade through their backlog with no time limit
given. Today, I was called by the patient telling me that the VA called
him/her and was told that he/she needed to see another VA O&P provider
since our SAM registration is no longer active. Fortunately, the patient
still wants me to take care of him and is willing to wait until this
matter is resolved, or we switch to Medicare if necessary. This is a sad
development and my guess is there will be several O&P providers affected
by this new SAM policy and debacle.
I had much more to say that was not politically correct, but my
wordsmith waved me off. Seems like we just can't tell it like it is
these days. I'm beginning to think I work for the federal government,
not the other way around. What a shame. No guts, no glory. But remember,
milk and honey always seems to work the best. Seriously?
Here's the link to the issue at the GSA.SAM.GOV website.
<URL Redacted>
Regards to all,
Wil Haines, CPO
Curious. Does anyone know anything about the GSA.SAM.GOV new
requirement? We have been told our SAM registration has expired. We
spent 3 hours on the phone Tuesday trying to find out what the problem
was and were told they have a backlog. As such, we are unable to do any
work for the federal government (excluding Medicare & Medicaid) until
our registration is renewed. We followed the directions, sent in an
appropriately notarized form by certified return receipt mail in a
timely manner, but were told that there is nothing they can do about our
issue until the form is reviewed. We mailed our form on May 25, 2018 and
they signed for the envelope on May 29, 2018. We have always been a
registered vendor without issues until this incident occurred. I am
writing to two Senators today to see if they can light a fire under
someone's butt at the GSA SAM office, but who knows where that request
will go. In the meantime, we are unable to take care of veterans. This
problem is with the GSA.SAM.GOV, but, to my knowledge, it does affect
the VA and all other federal programs that are paid for by the federal
government. I now have an approved VA request for a service connected
amputee veteran who I've seen for the past 20 years waiting until the
GSA.SAM.GOV folks can wade through their backlog with no time limit
given. Today, I was called by the patient telling me that the VA called
him/her and was told that he/she needed to see another VA O&P provider
since our SAM registration is no longer active. Fortunately, the patient
still wants me to take care of him and is willing to wait until this
matter is resolved, or we switch to Medicare if necessary. This is a sad
development and my guess is there will be several O&P providers affected
by this new SAM policy and debacle.
I had much more to say that was not politically correct, but my
wordsmith waved me off. Seems like we just can't tell it like it is
these days. I'm beginning to think I work for the federal government,
not the other way around. What a shame. No guts, no glory. But remember,
milk and honey always seems to work the best. Seriously?
Here's the link to the issue at the GSA.SAM.GOV website.
<URL Redacted>
Regards to all,
Wil Haines, CPO
Citation
Wil Haines, “Possible Crisis,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 5, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/208982.
