I can just imagine how pleased they must have been with themselves after one presented the idea to create a whole new database of physicians for the sole purpose of verifying their NPIs, which already (supposedly) had been a vetting process to help prevent health care fraud and abuse. My head spins just thinking about it.

When I allow my imagination to delve into these dark places, I can picture them high-fiving each other as their meeting adjourns. “Another victory for the American taxpayer.”

Of course, they delegate other minions (paid for by us) to administer PECOS, yet another government health care directive and its details. If it weren’t so absurd, it’d be laughable.

How bad is this idea? If PECOS was so wonderful, why has Phase 2 implementation been delayed a second time — this time for nearly a full year? Just counting all the ways is depressing.

Let’s start with putting the onus on the providers that can’t get reimbursed without action by other providers who have no incentive to comply because their reimbursement isn’t affected. I wonder who came up with that one.

Then there’s the eventual unveiling of the great and wonderful PECOS database — as a PDF! Obviously, some government employees had been tasked to create the database. But then they were tasked to convert it to a nearly useless format so companies like ours would need to spend time to reverse the process in order to properly help our clients.

When testing our version of the PECOS database against client data, we discovered that approximately 50% of physicians had enrolled. So, the same people you need to bother for ever more medical necessity documentation now also must enroll in PECOS for the same reason: so you, the HME provider, can get paid for products and services rendered.

Anyone have aspirin? My head hurts, and another brilliant government idea called NCB is still barreling toward us at breakneck speed.