The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has issued the following clarification to assist suppliers bidding in the Round 2 and national mail-order competitions of the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program. This information will also be posted on the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) website. If you have any questions, please contact the CBIC customer service center at 877-577-5331 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Eastern time during the registration and bidding periods.
Q. The Request for Bids instructions say that suppliers must submit a copy of a credit report with numerical score that was prepared within 90 days prior to the opening of the bid window. Does this mean I can't submit a credit report and score that is dated after bidding opens but before bidding closes? A. No. Credit reports and scores must not be prepared earlier than 90 days prior to the opening of the bid window, but they can be prepared after bidding opens as long as they are received by the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) by the close of the bid window. When bidding opens, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will post the specific date that is 90 days prior to the opening of the bid window on the CBIC website. Credit reports and scores that are older than this date will not be accepted. ________________________________ Flu Season is Here! While seasonal flu outbreaks can happen as early as October, flu activity usually peaks in January. Remind your patients that annual vaccination is recommended for optimal protection. Medicare pays for the seasonal flu vaccine and its administration for seniors and others with Medicare with no co-pay or deductible. Healthcare workers, who may spread the flu to high risk patients, should get vaccinated too. 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.
