BALTIMORE--In a short notice issued Friday afternoon, CMS released accreditation deadlines for suppliers who want to take part in round two of competitive bidding.

In order to participate in round two, suppliers must meet quality standards and be accredited by a CMS-approved deemed accreditation organization, the notice said. Those suppliers should take note of two key deadlines, according to the notice:

--Suppliers must be accredited or have applied for accreditation by May 14, 2008, to submit a bid for the second round of competitive bidding. CMS cannot accept a bid from any supplier that is not accredited or that has not applied for accreditation by May 14, 2008.

--Suppliers will need to be accredited to be awarded a contract. The accreditation deadline for the second round of competitive bidding is Oct. 31, 2008. 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.

View the list of the CMS-approved accreditation organizations.


View more information about the competitive bidding program.