CMS announces DMEPOS bidding timeline

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced the bidding timeline for Round 2 Recompete and the national mail-order recompete of the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program.

The DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program is responsible for changing the amount Medicare pays for certain DMEPOS while maintaining beneficiary access to items and services and quality of care. The Medicare DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program has saved more than $580 million, according to CMS.

CMS is required to recompete contracts under the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program at least once every three years. Suppliers then must compete to become Medicare contract suppliers by submitting bids to provide certain items in competitive bidding areas. The new, lower payment amounts resulting from the competitions replace the fee schedule amounts for the bid items in these areas.

The Round 2 and national mail-order program contract periods expire on June 30, 2016. Round 2 Recompete and the national mail-order recompete contracts are scheduled to become effective on July 1, 2016, and will expire on Dec. 31, 2018.

CMS is conducting Round 2 Recompete for seven product categories in the same geographic areas that were included in Round 2. CMS also is conducting the national mail-order recompete for diabetic testing supplies at the same time as Round 2 Recompete. The national mail-order recompete CBA includes all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa.

CMS also has launched a comprehensive bidder education program. This program is designed to ensure that DMEPOS suppliers interested in bidding receive the information and assistance they need to submit complete bids in a timely manner.

More information is available on the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor website.

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