CMS Launches Competitive Bidding Education

WASHINGTON—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) provided detailed fact sheets for the new round of competitive bidding through the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor website. 

The following fact sheets for the competitive bidding program (CBP) were posted dated June 4: 

• Bid surety bond
• Bidder eligibility requirements
• Contract supplier obligations
• Exceptions from the requirement to be a contract supplier
• Financial standard reporting
• Lead item bidding and pricing 
• Licensure for bidders
• Physician or trading practitioner authorization process
• Remote item delivery 
• Requirements to submit a bona fide bid
• Small supplier considerations
• Subcontracting of services 
• Tribal exemption 

“The (Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor) website is the official information source for bidders and the focal point for bidder education,” CMS said in an announcement. “The CBIC website contains important and helpful resources to ensure bidders have the necessary information to prepare for (Round 2028).” 

Launching the pre-bidding supplier awareness program on June 4 is the first step in a Round 2028 timeline posted on the same site. The timeline also lays out that sometime this summer, it will announce specific dates for registration and bidding, announce lead items for product categories and the number of contracts to award for each product category. It says the bid window will open in late fall. 

In an announcement to members, the American Association for Homecare said noted that this marks the first time CMS has diclosed the list of n on-lead items and their ratios to the lead items, which can be found in the bidding calculator.