BALTIMORE — During an Open Door Forum Wednesday, there wasn't a lot of new business discussed, but a lot of old business brought repeated questions from listeners on accreditation, deadlines and revocation of billing numbers.
After reminders from CMS about DMEPOS accreditation and surety bond deadlines — Oct. 1 and 2, respectively — callers grilled agency representatives on exactly what would happen if providers don't have those items in place.
"This is very simple …" said CMS' Jim Bossenmeyer. "If you are not in compliance on Oct. 1 [for accreditation] or not in compliance on Oct. 2 for the surety bond, the [National Supplier Clearinghouse] will take the necessary actions to revoke your billing privileges."
According to the agency's Nannette Hardouin, "We expect that the NSC will be sending letters to all suppliers that do not have a surety bond or an accreditation on file … You are either accredited or you are not."
Bossenmeyer said the termination or revocation letters would go out either Oct. 1 or Oct. 2. "There will be a 30-day process before revocation can occur," he said, but then "billing privileges would cease on or after that day."
Is there any way to check whether the NSC has all the correct accreditation or surety bond information, a Kansas HME provider wondered?
"There's not a process whereby you can check the information with the NSC," Bossenmeyer replied, adding that providers should keep copies of any information they have filed.
But with competitive bidding coming up and the possibility of rejection because that information could be lacking, the provider persisted, he would like to make sure the NSC has the information that was sent.
"The NSC can make a mistake just the same as anyone else," he commented. "I would suggest that we find some way of putting in a process where we can verify that information before competitive bidding moves forward."
"Thank you for that comment," Bossenmeyer responded.
For providers just now entering the accreditation process, Sandra Bastinelli, charged with running the DMEPOS accreditation program, gave little hope they could meet the mandatory deadline. Because it takes an average of six to seven months to gain accreditation, she said, "if you are just applying now, please don't contact us and ask where you are … You will most likely not get accredited by the Oct. 1 deadline."
About pharmacies, Bastinelli said, "the timeframe for accreditation is not any different than anyone else getting accredited."
She said the agency is "monitoring closely" whether it will come down to the wire for too many pharmacies that did not apply in time. "We will evaluate what to do at that time," she said.
Pharmacy groups are pushing for exemption from the accreditation and surety bond requirements with bills in Congress that would grant both. This week, The National Federation of Independent Business, the National Rural Health Association, the American Association of Diabetes Educators and the Diabetes Access to Care Coalition sent letters to Senate and House committees asking for support of the bills.
The House health care reform bill (H.R. 3200) also includes provisions that would exempt some pharmacies from the surety bond requirement, and those selling diabetes supplies, canes and crutches from accreditation.
But so far, Bastinelli said, CMS doesn't "have any statutory changes that we could make, so the Oct. 1 deadline stands."
