Hello all,
I was asked by many of you to post responses. Thanks for your help! I have
another question which I will post separately.
Elizabeth
Here’s the original post:
Can anyone advise me on how one becomes and O & P Veteran’s Administrator
provider? When we’ve inquired in the past, the process feels very
convoluted if not impossible.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth Park, Co-Owner
Sound Limbs Orthotics & Prosthetics
39 South Lisbon Road
Lewiston, ME 04240
· The process to become a VA provider is a bidding process. In
order to know when the bidding process opens up to new providers you need to
subscribe to their website as an interested party and then you will need to
check the web site once a month to see when the bidding begins. They will
not send you notice, the burden is on you to be proactive. Once you receive
news that the bidding begins, you will have a few weeks to prepare your
bid. The website will give you clear instructions. The VA then takes a few
months to review all the bids and will award several winners.
· Go to ccr.gov , also contact acquisition office at your local VA
to find
out when bidding on the next contract for P&O happens
· I think most VA facilities are the same but here they send out
an invitation to bid on prosthetics every 3 years. There are a series of
forms that have to be filled out and then returned to the VA to see who gets
the provider contracts for that term. You are asked to provide a discount
to the VA. Also, veterans can choose you without having a contract. It is
their choice to pick their provider if they know it.
· There is always paperwork; similar to being a provider for
Medicare, or having your office/and laboratory certified by any number of the
approx. 6 organizations out there that meet the minimum standards. Since
the V.A. has been doing this quite a while they actually may only accept ABC
or BOC certification .
There is no mystery to the forms, just go on line, download the
application and apply. Check to see if you are able to apply any time of the year.
It could be excluded to once a year. All clinics depending upon the V.A.
Medical physician Chief and O and P officer will be run by the rules of the
book. The rest will vary according to the personalities of the staff.
It is important though to decide if want a V.A. contract. Some clinics will
only refer patients to O and P offices that attend the clinic. If that is
the case ask yourself if you have the time. Ask your friends and the
surrounding O and P community what their experience has been. You may consider
calling up the V.A. and talking with the V.A. representative for the
clinic.
· Suggest you contact the Chief of Prosthetics in your nearest VA
Hospital. Ask who and where is the Contracting and Purchasing
person/department who sends out RFP’s for Prosthetic Services for that Hospital. Once
you obtain that name and information send a formal request to be added to
receive RFP’s to bid on Prosthetic services for the geographic areas you
serve. When these RFP’s are sent out you will then be on the list to receive
them. Web search may get some of this information. An In-Person meeting
with the contracting person would probably be helpful. These contracts are
let for multiple year awards with extension clauses.
