We would like to remind all suppliers interested in participating in the Round 2 and national mail-order competitions of the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) competitive bidding program that registration for user IDs and passwords is open. If you are interested in bidding you must designate one Authorized Official (AO) from those listed on the CMS-855S enrollment form to act as your AO for registration purposes, and that AO must register.
We strongly urge all AOs to register no later than December 22, 2011 to ensure that AOs have time to designate other supplier employees to use the DMEPOS on-line bidding system (DBidS). When bidding opens, suppliers will need to submit their bids using DBidS. To help ensure bid security and privacy, suppliers interested in bidding must first register all employees that will enter information in DBidS to obtain a user ID and password through the Individuals Authorized Access to CMS Computer Services (IACS) system. Only supplier employees that have a user ID and password will be able to access DBidS; suppliers that do not register will not be able to bid. After an AO successfully registers, the AO may designate other authorized officials on the CMS-855S to serve as backup authorized officials (BAO). The AO and BAOs can designate other supplier employees as end users (EU). BAOs and EUs must also register for a user ID and password to be able to use the on-line bidding system. The name, date of birth, and Social Security number (SSN) of the AO and BAOs must match exactly with what is on file with the National Supplier Clearinghouse (NSC) to register successfully. Registering now allows the AO and/or BAO time to correct the supplier's NSC records if their name, date of birth, and SSN does not match what is on file with the NSC. We recommend that BAOs register no later than January 12, 2012 so that they will be able to assist AOs with approving EU registration. Registration will close on February 9, 2012 at 9 p.m. prevailing Eastern Time - no AOs, BAOs, or EUs can register after registration closes. To register, go to the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) website, www.dmecompetitivebid.com<http://www.dmecompetitivebid.com> and click on "REGISTRATION IS OPEN" above the Registration Clock on the home page. Please review the IACS Reference Guide posted on the website for step-by-step instructions on registration. You will also find a registration checklist and Quick Step guides on the CBIC website. If you have any questions about the registration process, please contact the CBIC Customer Service Center at 1-877-577-5331. The CBIC is the official information source for bidders. All suppliers interested in bidding are urged to sign up for E-mail Updates on the home page of the CBIC website. For information about Round 2 and the national mail-order competition, including bidder education materials, please refer to the resources located under Bidding Suppliers: Round 2 & National Mail-Order on the CBIC website. 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.
