CMS has released data on the health status of Medicare beneficiaries under the first phase of the Medicare DME, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program, based on real-time claims analysis for beneficiaries in competitive bidding areas and corresponding “comparator” regions. The files include data on what CMS characterizes as key indicators of the health status of beneficiaries and their access to DMEPOS items and services, including utilization rates and health outcomes data such as deaths, hospitalization rates, emergency room visits, physician visits, and skilled nursing facility stays. CMS intends to update this information on a monthly basis.  CMS continues to maintain that it has not observed changes in beneficiary health outcomes resulting from competitive bidding program to date.