The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is extending the bid submission, registration, and accreditation deadlines!

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is extending the bid submission, registration, and accreditation deadlines for the first round of the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program.


Please note: All bids are now due by 9:00 p.m. prevailing Eastern Time on September 25, 2007. Suppliers that have already submitted their bids may revise and resubmit their bids until the new deadline. Suppliers that resubmit bids must submit a new certification statement.

• On May 15, 2007, CMS issued a request for bids for the first round of the Medicare DMEPOS competitive bidding program. The original due date was 9:00 p.m. prevailing Eastern Time on July 13, 2007. All bids are now due by 9:00 p.m. prevailing Eastern Time on September 25, 2007.
  
• Suppliers interested in bidding must first register and receive a User ID and Password before they can access the internet-based bid submission system. Registration opened on April 9, 2007. The original registration deadline was June 30, 2007. CMS has reopened registration. The registration deadline is now August 27, 2007.
  
• Suppliers must be accredited or be pending accreditation to submit a bid and will need to be accredited to be awarded a contract. The accreditation deadline for the first round of competitive bidding was originally August 31, 2007. The accreditation deadline is now October 31, 2007.
  
• CMS is revising the contract periods. The original contract period for mail order diabetic supplies was April 1, 2008 – December 31, 2009. The contract period for all other first round product categories was April 1, 2008 – March 31, 2011. The contract period for mail order diabetic supplies is now July 1, 2008 – March 31, 2010. The contract period for all other first round product categories is now July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2011.
  
• CMS is providing a targeted period to address suppliers’ remaining questions on the competitive bidding program. To help ensure that answers are available as soon as possible, please e-mail your questions to the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) no later than August 10, 2007. The e-mail address is cbic.admin@palmettogba.com .
  
• There are revised customer service hours at the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC). Effective immediately, the CBIC help desk will be available to assist you from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday. You may call the help desk at 877-577-5331.

For more information on the program, please visit http://www.dmecompetitivebid.com/ .

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CMS Help Desk Hours Extended Along With Bidding Deadline

CMS announced last week that it is giving providers one more week to submit bids for national competitive bidding.

The new deadline: 9 p.m. EST on July 27.

It's the second time CMS has extended the deadline. CMS also pointed out that it has revised its customer service hours to 6 a.m. to midnight EST. The help desk (877-577-5331) will operate 24 hours the day before bidding closes.

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Are You Selling DMEPOS at a Loss?

Winning suppliers must be careful not to provide DMEPOS items at a loss to Medicare beneficiaries. Under the median price methodology, half of the “winning” bidders will be paid for DMEPOS at a rate below what they bid. The other half will have their bids RAISED to the median. So, if your bid was as low as you could go and you are a winning bidder above the median bid, your bid will be lower -- potentially below your costs. The final rule on competitive bidding doesn’t say whether those providers can withdraw from the program.

Accordingly, for this reason and others, a group of senators and representatives this week plans to send CMS two letters signed by more than a dozen of their colleagues urging the agency to delay national competitive bidding, but I would not hold my breathe. Sens. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Kent Conrad, D-N.D., and Reps. Tom Allen, D-Maine, and Sam Johnson, R-Texas, crafted the sign-on letters, which ask CMS to address several issues before closing the bidding window and implementing the program.

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CMS Controls Will Deter Diabetic Supply Billing Fraud

Last week, the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) website was updated with several Q&As regarding mail order diabetic supplies. In addition, most Q&As relating to the mail order competitive bidding program were reorganized under a separate "Mail Order" page under the "FAQ" section of the CBIC website.

The web address is: http://www.dmecompetitivebid.com/cbic/cbic.nsf/
123c46a12e4607f9852572330015b04f/7e55e2e7632b8e048525730f006d86c7?OpenDocument.

Medicare payment will NOT be made to non-contract suppliers that furnish mail order diabetic testing supplies to Medicare beneficiaries residing in a CBA. A special modifier will be used on each claim to indicate that the item was furnished on a mail order basis. Suppliers who furnish diabetic testing supplies on a mail order basis and do not attach the mail order modifier could be subject to significant penalties.

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DMEPOS Bid Deadline Extended; Accreditation Deadline Remains August 31 for Bidding Suppliers

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is extending the registration and bid submission deadlines for the first round of the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies(DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program.


All bids are now due by 9 p.m. prevailing Eastern Time July 20, and the registration deadline is July 7.

The accreditation deadline for the first round of competitive bidding REMAINS August 31. Suppliers should apply for accreditation immediately to allow adequate time to process their applications. For a list of the CMS-approved Deemed Accreditation Organizations, visit: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/CompetitiveAcqforDMEPOS/.

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