Industry Notes:
CMS: Suppliers Should Apply For Accreditation This Month
Published on Fri Jan 16, 2009
The agency's suggested deadline takes suppliers by surprise. There's no time to waste if you plan to meet Medicare's new accreditation requirement for durable medical equipment suppliers by its Sept. 30 deadline. "In order to meet this deadline, CMS is encouraging all enrolled DMEPOS suppliers, except those eligible professionals and other persons exempted by law, to submit a complete accreditation application to an accreditation organization by January 31, 2009," the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says in a message to providers. CMS unveiled the suggested deadline as part of its Jan. 8 special Open Door Forum on DME accreditation. We mean you: "Pharmacies, pedorthists, mastectomy fitters, orthopedic fitters/technicians, or athletic trainers applying for Medicare enrollment in order to bill for Medicare Part B services are not exempt from meeting the September 30, 2009 deadline for DMEPOS accreditation," CMS stresses in materials for the forum. CMS will post an audio [...]