The target deadline for authorized officials (AOs) to register for Round 2 and the national mail-order competitions of the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program was December 22, 2011. All suppliers interested in bidding must designate one AO from those listed on the CMS-855S enrollment form to act as their AO for registration purposes. If you are a supplier interested in bidding and your designated AO has not yet registered, he or she should register NOW. Suppliers whose AOs do not register will not be able to bid when bidding opens. AOs who do not register now may not have time to designate other employees to assist with bidding.
Remember, the AO must be listed on the CMS-855S enrollment form. After an AO successfully registers, the AO may designate other employees to serve as backup authorized officials (BAOs) and/or end users (EUs). BAOs and EUs must also register for a user ID and password to be able to access the online bidding system. The legal 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 in order to register successfully. 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. 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 and older. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends that healthcare workers and caregivers be vaccinated against the seasonal flu. 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.
