stock and bill

stock and bill

I was wondering if there are issues of trade law infractions with the stock
and bill game.... These are manufacturers and wholesale distributors of
products, but they sell goods at different pricing levels.... It just depends
on who buys the goods.... I believe they call the term price gouging... It
may or may not apply here...

I think I would have less of a problem with the stock and bill programs if
the prices these guys billed were consistent across the board.... but lets
face it, if the stock and bill programs were run this way, there would be no
incentive for the S&B programs in the first place, and so they would not
exist...

I think over time, this issue will be addressed through the private insurance
industry and the Feds... if not in stark 2, then maybe in stark 3.... but
what I believe will happen, is that the P & O industry will erode just a
little bit more (than it already has) as a result.... so right now, a few
big players are making a ton of money off the S & B game, and that short
lived gravy train will ultimately run out, but the lasting effects will be
lower reimbursement for the legitimate providers who remain, and over time
that will pass back to the manufacturers themselves... It's unfortunate, but
thats usually how it goes....

short term gain for a few, long term suicide for an industry....

When L-code reimbursement reflects wholesale pricing, as will eventually
happen if this continues, then we as an industry are pretty well cooked...

but what the hell, there is always prosthetics.... sure, keep dreaming....

my $.02

Wade Bader CPO
Tampa