Comments are due by September 2 for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposals that make structural reforms to Medicare’s Competitive Bidding Program for Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS), DMEPOS accreditation requirements, and to the Medicare provider and supplier enrollment rules in a Proposed Rule.
CMS has also proposed reducing the number of DMEPOS competitive bidding contracts that are awarded. In the 2021 round, CMS awarded contracts for only two of the sixteen product categories because it said payment amounts “did not achieve expected savings” for the Medicare program.
The Proposed Rule signaled that CMS plans to announce the next round of the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program, with changes to the policies seen in prior rounds, and included more frequent DMEPOS supplier surveys and reaccreditations and stricter oversight by accrediting organizations.
To learn more, read:
- “CMS Budget Includes Return of DMEPOS Competitive Bidding” on The O&P EDGE website.
- “CMS Proposes Annual DMEPOS Accreditation Renewals” on The O&P EDGE website.
- The FY 2026 Budget in brief on the HHS website.
- The Request for Information, the Justification of Estimates for Appropriations Committees, or the Calendar Year 2026 Home Health Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule Fact Sheet, CMS-1828-P on the CMS website.
