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In early 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and product categories for the second round of the Medicare durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) competitive bidding program.

The second round of bidding will occur in 70 MSAs. All suppliers must meet quality standards and be accredited by a CMS-recognized accreditation organization in order to obtain a contract
under the Medicare DMEPOS competitive bidding program.

• Suppliers must be accredited or have applied for accreditation by May 14, 2008 to submit a bid for the second round of competitive bidding. CMS cannot accept a bid from any supplier that is not accredited or that has not applied for accreditation by May 14, 2008.
• Suppliers will need to be accredited to be awarded a contract. The accreditation deadline for the second round of competitive bidding is October 31, 2008. Suppliers must be accredited before this date to be awarded a contract.

The second round of the Medicare DMEPOS competitive bidding program will include eight of the top DMEPOS product categories. They are:

• Oxygen Supplies and Equipment
• Standard Power Wheelchairs, Scooters and Related Accessories
• Complex Rehabilitative Power Wheelchairs and Related Accessories
• Enteral Nutrients, Equipment and Supplies
• Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Devices, Respiratory Assist Devices (RADs) and Related Supplies and Accessories
• Hospital Beds and Related Accessories
• Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) Pumps and Related Supplies and Accessories
• Walkers and Related Accessories

CMS is expected to announce specific zip codes and items in each product category in the coming weeks, as well as a detailed timeline.

Customer service hours at the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) are 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday. You may call the help desk at 877-577-5331.

For additional assistance and resources, refer to the Bid Application Tool Kit.

The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) with support from Bayer HealthCare, Diabetes Care, is providing this online resource center to clear the confusion and provide up-to-date, fact-based information on DMEPOS accreditation and competitive bidding.

Resources on this site provide information on and explanation of accreditation and competitive bidding, as well as forms and documentation to begin the accreditation process. By registering for DMe-alerts, you will receive the latest information on accreditation and competitive bidding delivered to your computer desktop, as it becomes available.

Check this site often as NCPA's William Popomaronis, R.Ph., NCPA's vice president, long term and home health care pharmacy services, will be sharing his thoughts, interpretations, and explanations on the latest DME information from CMS and how it will affect community pharmacists through a blog.