On November 10, 2010 (approximately two months behind schedule) CMS announced the names of the 356 contract suppliers for the Round 1 Rebid of the Medicare DMEPOS competitive bidding program. Under this program, which goes into effect January 1, 2011, only suppliers who are winning bidders and enter into a contract with CMS may furnish certain categories of DMEPOS to Medicare beneficiaries in nine competitive bidding areas (CBAs), with very limited exceptions, and they will be paid based on the median of winning bids in the CBA. According to CMS, the 346 suppliers with 662 locations have been awarded a total of 1,217 contracts. About three-quarters of the contracts were awarded to suppliers already furnishing contract items in the CBA, and small suppliers (gross revenues of $3.5 million or less) make up about half of the contract suppliers. The names of the contract suppliers, educational materials, and details about ongoing supplier education calls (the next of which is scheduled for November 17) are available on the CBIC web site.