The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is required by law to recompete contracts under the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program at least once every three years. The Round 1 Rebid contract period for product categories, except mail-order diabetic supplies, expires on December 31, 2013. CMS will conduct the Round 1 Recompete competition for six product categories in the same competitive bidding areas (CBAs) as the Round 1 Rebid. CMS has announced that bidding will begin this fall.
The Round 1 Recompete of the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program includes the following competitive bidding areas (CBAs):
- Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill (North Carolina and South Carolina)
- Cincinnati-Middletown (Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana)
- Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor (Ohio)
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington (Texas)
- Kansas City (Missouri and Kansas)
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach (Florida)
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford (Florida)
- Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania)
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario (California)
The Round 1 Recompete product categories of items and services follows:
- Respiratory equipment and related supplies and accessories (includes oxygen, oxygen equipment, and supplies; continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices and respiratory assist devices (RADs) and related supplies and accessories; and standard nebulizers)
- Standard mobility equipment and related accessories (includes walkers, standard power and manual wheelchairs, scooters, and related accessories)
- General home equipment and related supplies and accessories (includes hospital beds and related accessories, group one and two support surfaces, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) devices, commode chairs, patient lifts, and seat lifts)
- Enteral nutrients, equipment, and supplies
- Negative pressure wound therapy pumps and related supplies and accessories
- External infusion pumps and supplies
In keeping with the original Round 1 bidding, orthotics and prosthetics are essentially exempted from the current competitive bidding program, and competitive bidding is not being applied to off-the-shelf orthotics.
CMS has recommended that suppliers who are interested in bidding should prepare now by, among other things, updating contact information, obtaining licensure where required, and obtaining accreditation.
The Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) administers the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program. For more information, visit the CBIC website.
