BALTIMORE—CMS has scheduled the first in a series of eight Special Open Door Forums on the competitive bidding Round 1 rebid from 2 to 3 p.m. on Aug. 19.
A notice from the CBIC (Palmetto GBA} said the teleconference "will provide an overview of what to expect during the bidder education period and provide suppliers with a step-by-step explanation of the registration process. In addition, we will identify common registration issues from the original Round 1 of the DMEPOS competitive bidding program and discuss refinements to the bidding system.”
The message also noted: “It’s important for suppliers to register early to avoid delays in accessing the online bidding system when bidding opens.”
To listen in on the call, dial 800/837-1935 and reference Conference ID 23038688.
On Aug. 3, CMS announced it is aiming for a 60-day bid window for the new round. On a timeline for the rebid, CMS listed the bidding period from Oct. 21 through Dec. 21. The agency noted, however, that Oct. 21 is a “target date” and said the actual date for bid opening could be announced by email.
According to the timeline, online registration for user IDs and passwords will begin Aug. 17. The date for bidders to submit financial documents is Nov. 21. Payment amounts will be released in June 2010, and winners will be announced in September 2010. The program will be implemented in January 2011.
Leading up to bid opening, CMS said, “Supplier outreach will intensify in the coming weeks with a series of bidders' conferences focusing on program information, registration and bidding.”
The Round 1 rebid will roll out in nine of same areas as the first Round 1 (Puerto Rico has been dropped):
• Cincinnati – Middletown (Ohio, Kentucky and
Indiana)
• Cleveland – Elyria – Mentor (Ohio)
• Charlotte – Gastonia – Concord (North Carolina
and South Carolina)
• Dallas – Fort Worth – Arlington (Texas)
• Kansas City (Missouri and Kansas)
• Miami – Fort Lauderdale – Miami Beach
(Florida)
• Orlando (Florida)
• Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania)
• Riverside – San Bernardino – Ontario
(California)
The rebid will also include most of the same items as the 2008 Round 1 (negative pressure wound therapy items and Group 3 power wheelchairs will be excluded):
• Oxygen and Oxygen Equipment
• Standard Power Wheelchairs, Scooters, and Related
Accessories
• Complex Rehabilitative Power Wheelchairs and Related
Accessories (Group 2 only)
• Mail-Order Replacement Diabetic Supplies
• Enteral Nutrients, Equipment and Supplies
• Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines,
Respiratory Assist Devices (RADs), and Related Supplies and
Accessories
• Hospital Beds and Related Accessories
• Walkers and Related Accessories
• Support Surfaces (Group 2 mattresses and overlays in Miami
only)
Estimated capacity and bid amount worksheets for each of the nine competitive bidding areas have been posted on the CBIC Web site, along with a “Getting Started” bid checklist and registration FAQs.
Providers can also view a 35-page PDF of bidding instructions, including information on eligibility, subcontracting and change of ownership among a long list of topics. The PDF includes sample bidding forms A and B, a checklist of hard copy documentation for bid submission and a financial documentation toolkit with notes and tips.
As part of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, Congress delayed the bidding program in July 2008. The law required CMS to terminate the Round 1 contracts that had been awarded and mandated a rebid of the round in 2009. The law also delayed the Round 2 bid, which will add another 70 MSAs, until 2011.
The CBIC’s toll-free help desk is now open for questions on the bidding process at 877/577-5331.
For an overview of the bidding program, see the competitive bidding page on the CMS Web site at www.cms.hhs.gov/DMEPOSCompetitiveBid/01_overview.asp.
