Bidding Timeline The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced the bidding timeline for the Round 2 and national mail-order competitions of the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program. To view the timeline, visit the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) web site at www.dmecompetitivebid.com<http://www.dmecompetitivebid.com/> .
Bidder Education Program CMS has also launched a comprehensive bidder education program. This program is designed to ensure that DMEPOS suppliers interested in bidding receive the information and assistance they need to submit complete bids in a timely manner. The CBIC is the official information source for bidders and the focal point for bidder education. The CBIC web site, www.dmecompetitivebid.com<http://www.dmecompetitivebid.com/> , features a comprehensive array of important information for suppliers, including bidding rules, user guides, policy fact sheets, checklists, and bidding information charts. The education program will also include webcasts that will cover all the essential topics suppliers will need to know in order to bid. These webcasts will be posted on the CBIC web site and will be available 24 hours a day/7 days a week. When a webcast is posted, the CBIC will announce its availability through a CBIC e-mail update announcement. To sign up to receive webcast announcements and other key registration and bidding information, visit the CBIC web site at www.dmecompetitivebid.com<http://www.dmecompetitivebid.com> and subscribe to e-mail updates. In addition to viewing the information on the CBIC website, DMEPOS suppliers are encouraged to call the CBIC toll-free help desk, 1-877-577-5331, with their questions and concerns. To view the Press Release, please click: www.cms.gov/apps/media/press_releases.asp<http://www.cms.gov/apps/media/press_releases.asp> To view the Fact Sheet, please click: www.cms.gov/apps/media/fact_sheets.asp<http://www.cms.gov/apps/media/fact_sheets.asp> Each Office Visit is an Opportunity. Medicare patients give many reasons for not getting their annual flu vaccination, but the fact is that flu seasons are unpredictable and can be severe. Each year, it is estimated that 90 percent of seasonal flu-related deaths and more than 60 percent of seasonal flu-related hospitalizations occur in people 65 years and older. Please talk with your Medicare patients about the importance of getting their annual flu vaccination. And remember, vaccination is important for healthcare workers too, who may spread the flu to high risk patients. Don't forget to immunize yourself and your staff. Protect your patients. Protect your family. Protect yourself. Get the Flu Vaccine-Not the Flu. Remember - The flu vaccine plus its administration are covered Part B benefits. CMS has posted the 2011-2012 seasonal flu vaccine payment limits at http://www.CMS.gov/McrPartBDrugAvgSalesPrice/10_VaccinesPricing.asp. Note that the flu vaccine is NOT a Part D-covered drug. For more information on coverage and billing of the flu vaccine and its administration, as well as related educational provider resources, visit http://www.CMS.gov/MLNProducts/35_PreventiveServices.asp and http://www.cms.gov/immunizations. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.
