Home Health & Hospice Week

Conferences suggest suppliers are confused in home stretch.

If you're still aiming for a Medicare competitive bidding contract, get answers to your questions fast. Less than a month remains before the first round bidding deadline on July 13.

Representatives from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Competitive Bidding Im-plementation Contractor fielded callers' questions and offered advice in three separate audioconferences (see Eli's HCW, Vol. XVI, No. 21 for coverage of the first of the series).

At conferences on June 6 and June 8, CBIC Palmetto GBA offered the following clarifications in two crucial areas:

• Mail-order diabetes supplies. During the first round of competitive bidding, beneficiaries who reside in a competitive bidding area (CBA) have an option: They may purchase supplies from either a mail-order contract supplier, who will be reimbursed at the single payment amount, or a non-contract supplier whose supplies are not furnished on a mail-order basis.

Defined: Mail order includes items ordered by phone, Internet, and email and delivered by common carriers such as the U.S. Postal Service.

Tip: Double check the geographic boundaries if you're interested in bidding for this category. They differ from the boundaries for other products up for bid.

• Grandfathering provisions. Competitive bidding has a grandfather clause for certain capped rental and routine bid items. That clause means you can continue to supply the grandfathered items to existing customers.

Essential: If you agree to be a grandfather supplier, you must serve all eligible beneficiaries who elect to receive items under a grandfathered arrangement.

Grandfathered suppliers will continue to be paid the rental fee schedule amount until the item is no longer medically necessary; they receive 13 months of continuous rental payments; or total rental payments for the item are limited to fee schedule amounts.

Resource: To find answers to more questions covered in the three audioconferences, read the transcripts available at www.dmecompetitivebid.com.