Home Health & Hospice Week

Red alert:  Suppliers don't have to be accredited to bid, CMS reveals.

A recent Friday afternoon transmittal probably left some durable medical equipment suppliers sleepless over the weekend.

Shocker: Though the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has yet to set a deadline on when all suppliers must achieve accreditation to participate in Medicare, suppliers were shocked to hear that CMS put an April 2007 deadline in writing in Jan. 26 Change Request 5414, Transmittal 188. The agency hastily rescinded the notice on Jan. 29 with a note saying simply that the transmittal "will not be replaced at this time."

CMS just named the accrediting organizations in December--and many suppliers are staving off the costly accreditation process until they hear the final details on Medicare's soon-to-be-launched competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS).

At the Jan. 30 Home Health, Hospice & DME Open Door Forum, CMS officials noted that non-accredited suppliers will be able to submit bids once the program gets under way. However, "it is our goal to have everyone accredited before we enter into a contract," CMS' Joel Kaiser said.

Final word: Still, CMS isn't backing down from its stand that DME suppliers should move quickly toward accreditation, final rule or not.

"Everyone should get accredited," Kaiser urged. "Start the process now."
 
Bidding Soon Coming To A City Near You

Gear up: In less than two years, suppliers will have to bid for DMEPOS Medicare business in no fewer than 90 metropolitan statistical areas. In addition, CMS has the ability to extend competitive bidding beyond the borders of those MSAs under certain circumstances.

And, as the proposed rule says, beginning in 2010, the feds plan to roll out competitive bidding areas "based on our determination that the implementation ... would result in a significant savings to the Medicare program."