The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have announced the 60-day supplier bidding period will begin in late October for the Round One Rebid of the Medicare Competitive Bidding Program for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS). CMS is conducting an intensive supplier outreach and education effort to help suppliers prepare for bidding in each of the nine competitive bidding areas.

"Competitive bidding is an essential tool to help Medicare pay appropriately for health care-important not only to maintain Medicare beneficiaries' access to high quality medical items and services, but also to lower the cost of medical care for all," said Jonathan Blum, director of CMS' Center for Medicare Management. "We are committed to ensuring that suppliers have up-to-date information and guidance so they may submit bids to furnish high quality, affordable medical items and services under the competitive bidding program."

CMS started a supplier awareness effort in May to prepare suppliers for the registration period that begins later this August. Suppliers must register before they may submit bids when bidding starts in October. Today, CMS is also launching an extensive education and outreach effort to guide suppliers through the competitive bidding process. Information and materials may be found at www.dmecompetitivebid.com and a special toll-free help line (1-877-577-5331) has been established to assist bidders with questions and concerns. Supplier outreach will intensify in the coming weeks with a series of bidders' conferences focusing on program information, registration and bidding that will be announced on the web site.
The Round One Rebid will occur in the same areas as the first Round One except Puerto Rico will be excluded. These areas are:

-Cincinnati - Middletown (Ohio , Kentucky and Indiana )
-Cleveland - Elyria - Mentor (Ohio )
-Charlotte - Gastonia - Concord (North Carolina and South Carolina )
-Dallas - Fort Worth - Arlington (Texas )
-Kansas City (Missouri and Kansas )
-Miami - Fort Lauderdale - Miami Beach (Florida )
-Orlando (Florida)
-Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania)
-Riverside - San Bernardino - Ontario (California)

The Round One Rebid will include the same items as the first Round One except negative pressure wound therapy items and Group 3 complex rehabilitative power wheelchairs will be excluded. These items include:

-Oxygen and Oxygen Equipment
-Standard Power Wheelchairs, Scooters, and Related Accessories
-Complex Rehabilitative Power Wheelchairs and Related Accessories (Group 2 only)

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