CMS Opens Competitive Bidding

BALTIMORE — This morning, CMS announced it has opened the bid window for the first round of DMEPOS competitive bidding.

Bids are due on July 13, 2007.

CMS’ Competitive Bid Submission System is an online system. To review the system, click here.

The text of the CMS announcement follows in its entirety:

BIDDING FOR DMEPOS IS OPEN!

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is now soliciting bids for the first round of the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program. All bids are due by 9:00 p.m. prevailing Eastern Time on July 13, 2007. The contract period for mail order diabetic supplies is April 1, 2008 – December 31, 2009. The contract period for all other first round product categories is April 1, 2008 – March 31, 2011.

The first round competitive bidding areas (CBAs) and product categories were announced on April 2, 2007. CMS has issued for each CBA a detailed chart providing important bidding information for suppliers. Suppliers should use these charts when preparing their bids. Bidders will submit their bids using an internet-based bid submission system. The CBAs, product categories, bidding information charts, and full instructions for submitting a bid are located on the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) web site: www.dmecompetitivebid.com

Suppliers interested in bidding must first register and receive a User ID and Password before they can access the internet-based bid submission system. Suppliers should register immediately to avoid a delay in being able to submit bids. The registration deadline is June 30, 2007. For information on how to register and bid, visit: www.dmecompetitivebid.com

Also, in order to participate in the program, suppliers must meet quality standards and be accredited by a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)-approved Deemed Accreditation Organization. Suppliers must be accredited or be pending accreditation to submit a bid. The accreditation deadline for the first round of competitive bidding is August 31, 2007. Suppliers must be accredited before this date to be awarded a contract. Suppliers should apply for accreditation immediately to allow adequate time to process their applications. For a list of the CMS-approved Deemed Accreditation Organizations, visit: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/CompetitiveAcqforDMEPOS/

The CMS and the CBIC have issued important supplier educational materials, including a supplier tool kit, fact sheets, web-cast, and “frequently-asked questions” (FAQs). To access these materials, visit: www.dmecompetitivebid.com