Important DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Reminders
On August 3, 2009, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the bidding schedule for the Round 1 Rebid of the Medicare DMEPOS (Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies) Competitive Bidding Program. The schedule is available on this website in the About the Program section. If you are a supplier interested in bidding, prepare now – don’t wait!
- GET REGISTERED: Registration is now open and available to all suppliers interested in participating in the Round 1 Rebid of the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program. Interested suppliers will submit their bids using an online Internet application. To help ensure bid security and privacy, suppliers must first register to obtain a user ID and password. Only suppliers that have a user ID and password will be able to use the online bidding system; suppliers that do not register will not be able to bid.
If you are a supplier interested in bidding, register now – don’t wait. Designate one Authorized Official (AO) from those listed on the CMS-855S enrollment form to act as your AO for registration purposes. The AO must register first and must approve other supplier employee requests to register. The AO’s user ID and password will be sent by mail and should be delivered within 10 days after successful registration. After an AO successfully registers, the AO may designate other supplier employees to serve as Backup Authorized Officials (BAO) and/or End Users (EU). BAOs and EUs must also register in order to be able to use the online bidding system. The legal name, date of birth, and Social Security number (SSN) of the AO and BAOs must match exactly with what is on file with the National Supplier Clearinghouse (NSC) in order to register successfully. Legal names, dates of birth, and SSNs of all users must also match what is on file with the Social Security Administration.
We strongly urge all AOs to register no later than September 14, 2009, to ensure that BAOs and EUs have time to register before bidding begins. We recommend that BAOs register no later than October 9, 2009, so that they will be able to assist AOs with approving EU registration. Registration will close on November 4, 2009, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time – no AOs, BAOs, or EUs can register after registration closes. To register, go to the Registration section of this website.
- 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. DMEPOS suppliers should use the 3/09 version of the CMS-855S and should review and update:
- The list of products and services found in section 2.D;
- The Authorized Official(s) information in sections 6A and 15; and
- The correspondence address in section 2A2.
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 NSC 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 website (http://www.palmettogba.com/nsc) and by following this path: Supplier Enrollment/Change of Information/Change of Information Guide.
- 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 we will verify with the NSC that the supplier has on file a copy of all applicable required state license(s).
- 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. 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 for the applicable product categories.
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.
- 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 surety companies from which a bond can be secured is found at the Department of the Treasury’s “List of Certified (Surety Bond) Companies” website.
The Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) is the focal point for bidder education. Please review this website for important information for suppliers, including bidding rules, user guides, frequently asked questions, policy fact sheets, checklists, and bidding information charts. The CBIC toll-free help desk, 1-877-577-5331, is open to help bidders with all of their questions and concerns. CMS will send e-mail announcements in order to disseminate key information about registration and bidding to suppliers and encourages all suppliers interested in bidding to sign up to receive these E-Mail Updates on the home page of this website.