CMS Abandons NPWT in Kansas City, San Juan CBAs

BALTIMORE–In an update posted to the CBIC Web site, CMS said
the negative pressure wound therapy product category will not be
included in round one for both the Kansas City and San Juan, Puerto
Rico, competitive bidding areas because “an insufficient number of
contracts were accepted to ensure viable coverage of this product
category.”

According to the notice, after implementation of the program
July 1, any Medicare-enrolled supplier can furnish NPWT items and
services in those two CBAs, and “payment will continue to be made
in accordance with the standard fee schedule payment.”

That leaves only four product categories under the bidding
program–standard power wheelchairs, mail-order diabetic supplies,
CPAPs and walkers–out of the original 10 that were bid in the San
Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo CBA. Earlier this year when CMS posted a chart
show

ing the number of round one contracts it had offered, a footnote
explained that there were not enough qualified bidding suppliers to
meet projected demand in the CBA in the oxygen, complex rehab,
enteral nutrition, hospital beds or support surfaces categories.
CMS had specifically designated the latter to be bid only in the
San Juan and Miami CBAs. (See HomeCare Monday, April 29.)