Round 2 of Medicare’s Competitive Bidding Program Starts

Bidding is underway for Round 2 of Medicare’s Competitive Bidding Program for durable medical goods in 91 metropolitan areas, or about 75 percent of the nation.

The 60-day bidding window opened on Monday, Jan. 30. Registration for the program closed on Thursday, Feb. 9.

HME providers are submitting bids online using the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) DMEPOS Bidding System (DBidS).

Before submitting a bid online, suppliers should review the Request for Bids (RFB) Instructions and the DBidS Reference Guide. CMS also recommends that bidders review the educational webcasts, fact sheets and bid preparation worksheets.

“These documents provide vital information about completing the online bidding forms (Form A and Form B),” CMS said in a release.

The RFB instructions also specify required documents each bidder must submit in hard copy form to the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) at:

Palmetto GBA
Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor
2743 Perimeter Pkwy, Ste. 200-400
Augusta, GA 30909-6499

Medicare is urging bidders to submit hard copy financial documents in time for the CBIC to receive documents on or before the Covered Document Review Date, Feb. 29, 2012. If the CBIC receives financial documents by that date, providers will be notified of any missing financial documents. If the CBIC does not receive documents by then, providers will not be notified of missing documents. All hard copy documents must be received by the CBIC on or before March 30, 2012.

All bids must be completed, approved and certified in DBidS by 8:59:59 p.m. ET on March 30, 2012.

For more information, go to www.dmecompetitivebid.com.

Here is the remaining timeline for Round 2:

2/29/2012:  Covered Document Review Date for bidders
to submit financial documents

3/30/2012:  60-day bid window closes

Fall 2012:  CMS announces single payment amounts,
(tentative) begins contracting process

Spring 2013:  CMS announces contract suppliers, begins
(tentative) contract supplier education campaign

Spring 2013:  CMS begins supplier, referral agent and
(tentative) beneficiary education campaign

July 1, 2013:  Implementation of Medicare DMEPOS
(tentative) Competitive Bidding Program Round 2 and
National Mail-Order Competition contracts
and prices