Today CMS announced the general timeline for the next round of DMEPOS competitive bidding program:

Spring 2009

  • CMS Begins a Pre-Bidding Supplier Awareness Campaign
  • Program Advisory And Oversight Committee (PAOC) Meeting on June 4, 2009

Summer 2009

  • CMS Announces the Bidding Schedule and the Schedule of Supplier Education Events
  • CMS Begins Bidder Education Campaign
  • Bidder Registration Period to Obtain User IDs and Passwords Begins

Fall 2009

  • Supplier Bid Window Opens

CMS notes that suppliers wishing to participate in the Round One Rebid of the Medicare DMEPOS competitive bidding program, including suppliers that were awarded contracts in the first Round One which occurred in 2007, will need to re-register and submit a new bid application for the Round One Rebid competition. As in the first Round One program, suppliers must meet all applicable eligibility, financial, quality, and accreditation standards in order to be awarded a contract.  Key steps suppliers need to take to get ready for DMEPOS competitive bidding registration and bid submission include getting appropriate state licenses, updating Medicare enrollment files with the National Supplier Clearinghouse (NSC) and getting accredited and bonded.

Reed Smith’s Life Sciences Health Industry Alert, CMS Prepares to Re-Launch Medicare DMEPOS Competitive Bidding—Tips for Potential Bidders,” also highlights steps suppliers can take now to prepare for the coming bidding cycle based on the lessons learned during the first round of bidding.