The Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) competitive bidding program Round 1 Rebid is coming soon.  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued the following reminder, especially important for suppliers.

Summer 2009

• CMS announces bidding schedule/schedule of education events
• CMS begins bidder education campaign
• Bidder registration period to obtain user ID and passwords begins

Fall 2009

• Bidding begins

If you are a supplier interested in bidding, prepare now – don’t wait – there are important steps to take right now!

1.  UPDATE YOUR NSC FILES:  DMEPOS supplier standard # 2 requires ALL suppliers to notify the National Supplier Clearinghouse (NSC) of any change to the information provided on the Medicare enrollment application (CMS-855S) within 30 days of the change.  This is especially important for suppliers who will be involved in the Medicare DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program.  These suppliers must ensure the information listed on their supplier files is accurate to enable participation in this program.  Information and instructions on how to submit a change of information may be found on the NSC Web site and by following this path:  Supplier Enrollment/Change of Information/Change of Information Guide.

2.  GET LICENSED:  Suppliers submitting a bid for a product category in a competitive bidding area (CBA) must meet all DMEPOS state licensure requirements and other applicable state licensure requirements, if any, for that product category for every state in that CBA.  Prior to submitting a bid for a CBA and product category, the supplier must have a copy of the applicable state licenses on file with the NSC.  As part of the bid evaluation CMS will verify with the NSC that the supplier has on file a copy of all applicable required state license(s).

3.  GET ACCREDITED:  CMS would like to remind DMEPOS suppliers that time is running out to obtain accreditation by the September 30, 2009 deadline or risk having their Medicare Part B billing privileges revoked on October 1, 2009.  Accreditation takes an average of 6 months to complete.  DMEPOS suppliers should contact a CMS deemed accreditation organization to obtain information about the accreditation process and the application process.  Suppliers must be accredited for a product category in order to submit a bid for that product category.  CMS cannot contract with suppliers that are not accredited by a CMS-approved accreditation organization.  Further information on the DMEPOS accreditation requirements along with a list of the accreditation organizations and those professionals and other persons exempted from accreditation may be found at the CMS website:  http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MedicareProviderSupEnroll/01_Overview.asp.

4.  GET BONDED:  CMS would like to remind DMEPOS suppliers that certain suppliers will need to obtain and submit a surety bond by the October 2, 2009 deadline or risk having their Medicare Part B billing privileges revoked.  Suppliers subject to the bonding requirement must be bonded in order to bid in the DMEPOS competitive bidding program.  A list of sureties from which a bond can be secured is found at the Department of the Treasury’s “List of Certified (Surety Bond) Companies;” the web site is located at:  www.fms.treas.gov/c570/c570_a-z.html.

Visit the CMS website at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/DMEPOSCompetitiveBid/ for the latest information on the DMEPOS competitive bidding program.

Patti Cullen, CAE
952.851.2487
pcullen@careproviders.org

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