Accreditation deadlines for the second round of the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) durable medical equipment,
prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) competitive bidding
program have been canceled, according to NHIC Corporation. The
Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, which
was enacted on July 15, 2008, delayed implementation of the bidding
program until at least January 2010, and as a result, the special
accreditation deadlines previously established for the second round
of the program have been canceled. Before enactment of the law,
suppliers must have received or applied for accreditation by July
21, 2008, to be eligible to bid for the second round of competitive
bidding and must have become accredited by January 14, 2009, to be
eligible for a second-round contract. Due to passage of the law,
neither of these deadlines currently apply. The current deadline by
which all DMEPOS suppliers must be accredited-September 30, 2009-is
still in effect.
