CMS Sets Call on Bid Registration

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.