Get Ready for Competitive Bidding — Again

BALTIMORE — With registration for the Round One rebid to
begin this summer and the bidding window set to open in the fall,
CMS’ Competitive Bidding Implementation
Contractor (Palmetto GBA) is cranking up again with a reminder
that providers need to get prepared.

“If you are a supplier interested in bidding, prepare now
— don’t wait!” a CBIC notice cautioned Friday.

Here’s what the notice said providers need to do:

UPDATE YOUR NSC FILES: DMEPOS supplier standard
#2 requires ALL suppliers to notify the National Supplier
Clearinghouse (NSC) of any change to the information provided on
the Medicare enrollment application (CMS-855S) within 30 days of
the change. DMEPOS suppliers should use the 3/09 version of the
CMS-855S and should review and update:

• The list of products and services found in section 2.D;
• The Authorized Official(s) information in sections 6A and 15;
  and
• The correspondence address in section 2A2 of the CMS-855S.

This is especially important for suppliers who will be involved
in the Medicare DMEPOS
Competitive Bidding Program. These suppliers must ensure the
information listed on their supplier files is accurate to enable
participation in this program. Information and instructions on how
to submit a change of information may be found on the NSC Web site and
by following this path: Supplier Enrollment/Change of
Information/Change of Information Guide.

GET LICENSED: Suppliers submitting a bid for a
product category in a competitive bidding area (CBA) must meet all
DMEPOS state licensure requirements and other applicable state
licensure requirements, if any, for that product category for every
state in that CBA. Prior to submitting a bid for a CBA and product
category, the supplier must have a copy of the applicable state
licenses on file with the NSC. As part of the bid evaluation we
will verify with the NSC that the supplier has on file a copy of
all applicable required state license(s).

GET ACCREDITED: CMS would like to remind DMEPOS
suppliers that time is running out to obtain accreditation by the
September 30, 2009 deadline or risk having their Medicare Part B
billing privileges revoked on October 1, 2009. Accreditation takes
an average of 6 months to complete. DMEPOS suppliers should contact
a CMS deemed accreditation organization to obtain information about
the accreditation process and the application process. Suppliers
must be accredited for a product category in order to submit a bid
for that product category. CMS cannot contract with suppliers that
are not accredited by a CMS-approved accreditation
organization.

Further information on the DMEPOS accreditation requirements
along with a list of the accreditation organizations and those
professionals and other persons exempted from accreditation may be
found at the CMS
Web site.

GET BONDED: CMS would like to remind DMEPOS
suppliers that certain suppliers will need to obtain and submit a
surety bond by the October 2, 2009 deadline or risk having their
Medicare Part B billing privileges revoked. Suppliers subject to
the bonding requirement must be bonded in order to bid in the
DMEPOS competitive bidding program.

A list of sureties from which a bond can be secured is found at
the Department of the Treasury’s “List of Certified
(Surety Bond) Companies.”

Visit the CMS Web site for
the latest information on the DMEPOS competitive bidding
program.