Three Important DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Updates Three updates that will be of interest to the provider community regarding the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program: I. DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program Information Mailed to Referral Agents The DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program will go into effect for nine product categories in nine competitive bidding areas (CBAs) on Sat Jan 1, 2011. When the program becomes effective, beneficiaries with Original Medicare who obtain competitively bid items in CBAs must obtain these items from a contract supplier for Medicare to pay, unless an exception applies. The nine product categories are: Oxygen, oxygen equipment, and supplies; Standard power wheelchairs, scooters and related accessories; Complex rehabilitative power wheelchairs and related accessories (Group 2 only); Mail-order diabetic supplies; Enteral nutrients, equipment, and supplies; Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) devices and Respiratory Assist Devices (RADs) and related supplies and accessories; Hospital beds and related accessories; Walkers and related accessories; and Support surfaces (Group 2 mattresses and overlays in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL only). The nine competitive bidding areas are: Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, NC-SC; Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN; Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH; Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX; Kansas City, MO-KS; Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL; Orlando-Kissimmee, FL; Pittsburgh, PA; Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA. It is crucial that health care professionals who order items included in the program understand how this program will affect their Medicare patients so that Medicare will continue to pay for covered services. Therefore, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is in the process of mailing a letter to referral agents in CBAs to remind them that the program is starting on Sat Jan 1, 2011. For purposes of the Medicare DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program, "referral agent" includes such entities as Medicare enrolled providers, physicians, treating practitioners, discharge planners, social workers, and pharmacists who refer beneficiaries for services in a CBA. A copy of the letter is now available on the CMS website at http://www.cms.gov/DMEPOSCompetitiveBid/04_Educational_Resources.asp.
II. Supplier Locator Tool Updated for DMEPOS Competitive Bidding CMS has updated its online supplier locator tool with new features for the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program. Here's how to access a list of DMEPOS competitive bidding contract suppliers for a particular beneficiary's competitive bidding area using the updated online supplier locator tool: * Visit www.Medicare.gov/supplier<http://www.Medicare.gov/supplier>. * Enter the Medicare beneficiary's zip code and click "Submit." * A list of product categories will appear; those product categories with a star icon next to them are included in the Competitive Bidding Program. * After selecting a competitive bidding product category, click "View Results." * A page will display stating you've selected a competitive bidding product category and briefly explain the program; click "Continue." * A list of all Medicare contract supplier locations in the competitive bidding area will appear. A list of the CMS-designated Medicare DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program contract suppliers for each CBA can also be found at http://www.cms.gov/DMEPOSCompetitiveBid/01A2_Contract_Supplier_Lists.asp. III. DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program "Repairs and Replacements Fact Sheet" Now Available from the Medicare Learning Network The DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program "Repairs and Replacements Fact Sheet" is now available to download, free of charge, from the Medicare Learning Network(r). Once the DMEPOS competitive bidding program becomes effective on Sat Jan 1, 2011, beneficiaries with Original Medicare who obtain competitively bid items in competitive bidding areas (CBAs) must obtain these items from a contract supplier for Medicare to pay, unless an exception applies. One exception occurs when an item of DMEPOS that a beneficiary already owns needs to be repaired. This fact sheet contains helpful information on competitive bidding program rules that apply when an item of DMEPOS that is owned by a beneficiary needs to be repaired or requires replacement parts. It includes information on which items and services non-contract suppliers may provide, and which Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes can be considered replacement parts associated with repair of base equipment. To view the fact sheet, please visit the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Educational Resources page at http://www.cms.gov/DMEPOSCompetitiveBid/04_Educational_Resources.asp, Scroll down to "Downloads," and select "DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Fact Sheets." December It's a Busy Time of Year. Make each office visit an opportunity to talk with your patients about the importance of getting the seasonal flu vaccination and a one-time pneumococcal vaccination. Remember, Medicare pays for these vaccinations for all beneficiaries with no co-pay or deductible. The seasonal flu and invasive pneumococcal disease kill thousands of people in the United States each year, most of them 65 years of age or older. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends that health care workers and caregivers be vaccinated against the seasonal flu. Protect your patients. Protect your family. Protect yourself. Get Your Flu Vaccine - Not the Flu. Remember - Influenza vaccine plus its administration are covered Part B benefits. Note that influenza vaccine is NOT a Part D covered drug. For information about Medicare's coverage of the influenza vaccine and its administration, as well as related educational resources for health care professionals and their staff, please visit the following CMS websites: http://www.cms.gov/MLNProducts/Downloads/Flu_Products.pdf and http://www.cms.gov/AdultImmunizations. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: If you have problems accessing any hyperlink in this message, please copy and paste the URL into your Internet browser. If you know someone who would like to subscribe to a Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) provider listserv, go to (http://www.cms.gov/prospmedicarefeesvcpmtgen/downloads/Provider_Listservs.pdf). If you would like to unsubscribe from a specific provider listserv, please go to (https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?INDEX) to unsubscribe or to leave the appropriate listserv. Please DO NOT respond to this email. This email is a service of CMS and routed through an electronic mail server to communicate Medicare policy and operational changes and/or updates. Responses to this email are not routed to CMS personnel. Inquiries may be sent by going to (http://www.cms.gov/ContactCMS). Thank you.
