CMS suggested in the Final Rule on competitive bidding that approximately 18,000 DMEPOS suppliers serviced the first 10 selected MSAs. Of those, 90 percent would bid, and of those 50 percent, or approximately 8,000, would be winning bidders. At the most recent PAOC meeting it was disclosed that approximately 2,000 suppliers submitted bids. The question of the day is…are 2,000 suppliers sufficient to provide convenient access to required DMEPOS in a timely manner? Stay tuned!
Bill Popomaronis, R.Ph., NCPA vice president, home health and long term care pharmacy services, provides his thoughts and explanations on the latest DME information from CMS.
