Home Health & Hospice Week

Get ready for your patients’ access to durable medical equipment to change this summer. CMS has announced 799 DME suppliers that won bids to furnish equipment in 91 MSAs, the agency says in a release.

CMS ran round one of DME competitive bidding in nine MSAs, and the program will widen to 91 MSAs with 100 competitive bidding areas starting July 1. DME covered under the program are oxygen, oxygen equipment, and supplies; standard (power and manual) wheelchairs, scooters, and related accessories; enteral nutrients, equipment, and supplies; Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) devices and Respiratory Assist Devices (RADs) and related supplies and accessories; hospital beds and related accessories; walkers and related accessories; Negative Pressure Wound Therapy pumps and related supplies and accessories; and support surfaces (Group 2 mattresses and overlays). This round also includes bidding for national mail order diabetic supplies.

The program won’t wipe out mom-and-pops, CMS implies in the release. "Small suppliers, those with gross revenues of $3.5 million or less as defined for the program, make up about 63 percent of the Round 2 contract suppliers," the agency says.

Patients won’t be adversely affected either, CMS maintains. Under round one of bidding, "monitoring data have shown a successful implementation with very few complaints and no negative impact on beneficiary health status," the agency says.

More information, such as the zip codes included in the bid and the contract suppliers for each area, is at www.dmecompetitivebid.com.