Beneficiaries renting equipment from a non contract supplier that is not a grandfathered supplier should be aware that the current supplier should pick up the equipment and then the beneficiaries should switch to a Medicare contract supplier if they want Medicare to continue to pay for the items. The beneficiary can contact a new contract supplier to arrange for delivery of new items. If beneficiaries do not hear from their supplier before July 1 and they live in a covered area, they should contact their supplier or Medicare to find out if the supplier intends to continue services as a grandfathered supplier.

Beneficiaries pay 20 percent of the cost for medical equipment and supplies, and Medicare pays 80 percent. Beneficiaries who wish to use a non-contract or non-grandfathered supplier will be asked to sign an Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN). By signing the ABN, beneficiaries are indicating they understand Medicare probably won't pay for the item or service that they receive from this supplier and that they will likely be responsible for the cost of the item or service.


Beneficiaries and the general public can find a list of Medicare contract suppliers in the ten initial areas of the program by visiting www.medicare.gov (under "Search Tools" select "Find Suppliers of Medical Equipment in Your Area") or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048). People can also visit the local office of their State Health Insurance and Assistance Program, Area Office on Aging and a number of community organizations who can provide information on the program.

A copy of the beneficiary letter and brochure is available at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PressContacts/10_PR_DMEPOS.asp Additional information on the DMEPOS competitive bidding program is available at www.cms.hhs.gov/DMEPOSCompetitiveBid.

For more information go to:
http://aami.org/news/2008/061008.equipment.html

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