Each bidder must obtain a bid surety bond from an authorized surety on the Department of Treasury’s List of Certified Companies on the Department of the Treasury’s website. If you haven’t already, you may want to contact the surety that provided your bond for enrollment with the National Supplier Clearinghouse (NSC), but please make sure they are still on the list of certified companies. You may also perform a Google search and find sureties that are providing the required bid surety bond for the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program (e.g., search for "DMEPOS Bid Surety Bond").

The address for the obligee, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is not required by the regulation; however, if the authorized surety requires the address, please use the following CMS address: 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244.

We also encourage you to review the Bid Surety Bond Checklist to ensure all bid surety bond requirements are met. As a reminder, the bidding entity’s legal business name must be listed as the principal/obligor. This is the same company name that is in the Business Organization Information section of Form A in the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Bidding System, DBidS.

Bid surety bonds must remain in full force and effect until they are either collected by CMS due to forfeiture or the liability is returned for not meeting forfeiture conditions. The bid surety bond liability will be returned to the bidding entity within 90 days of the Round 2021 public announcement of contract suppliers. That announcement date has not yet been determined, but will be in the fall of 2020, prior to January 1, 2021, when Round 2021 contracts become effective.

The bid surety bond required for bidding is not the same as the surety bond required for DMEPOS supplier enrollment purposes. Unlike the annual DMEPOS enrollment bond, the bid surety bond required by 42 CFR §414.412(g) is purchased for the one-time bidding event.

The LBN on your bid surety bond(s) must be the same as the LBN associated with the Provider Transaction Access Number (PTAN) you use to register for DBidS and Connexion. When you register to request access to the DMEPOS Bidding System, DBidS, and Connexion, the program’s secure portal, you must enter a PTAN that is active in the Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS). The LBN for this PTAN will auto-populate in the Business Organization Information section of Form A in DBidS. The LBN on Form A must match the LBN specified on the bid surety bond in order for CMS to find the bid surety bond acceptable.

The liability for bid surety bonds that do not meet the forfeiture conditions for a particular competitive bidding area will be returned within 90 days of the public announcement of contract suppliers. CMS will return the bid surety bond(s) liability to the bidder through a notice posted to Connexion, the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program’s secure portal.

Each contract offer will indicate when the bidder’s bid amount is at or below the median composite bid rate for the competitive bidding area and product category combination.

If the bidding entity is the same for each bidder number, then the bidding entity can upload in Connexion the same bid surety bond for that CBA under multiple bidder numbers. If the bidding entity declines any contract offer(s) for that CBA where its composite bid amount is at or below the median composite bid rate for the associated product category(s), then the bidding entity will forfeit the bid surety bond for that CBA. It’s important to remember that the bidding entity is the legal business name (LBN) associated with the Provider Transaction Access Number (PTAN) used to register in DBidS, the online bidding system. This LBN will be auto-populated in the Business Organization Information section of Form A in DBidS. To use the same bid surety bond for multiple bidder numbers in the same CBA, the bidding entity’s LBN on the bond must match the LBN for each bidder number.
 

Bid surety bonds cannot be obtained after the close of the bid window and uploaded in Connexion as part of a bid. If a bid surety bond was obtained prior to the close of the bid window, but not uploaded in Connexion during the bid window (e.g., the bidder forgot to upload a copy of the bond into Connexion), it cannot be accepted, and the bid for that CBA will be disqualified. We encourage bidders to ensure all required documentation is uploaded in Connexion when submitting a bid(s).

Yes, a sample template of a bid surety bond is available on the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) website. Sureties are not required to use this template provided all requirements specified at 42 §CFR 414.412(g)(2) are included on the bid surety bond issued by the authorized surety.

CMS should be listed as the obligee as the “Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.”

Per 42 CFR §414.402, composite bid means the bid submitted by the supplier for the lead item in the product category. The lead item is the item in a product category with multiple items with the highest total nationwide Medicare allowed charges of any item in the product category prior to each competition.

An authorized surety is a company that has been issued a Certificate of Authority by the U.S. Department of the Treasury as an acceptable surety on federal bonds, and the certificate has neither expired nor been revoked. The Department of the Treasury maintains an up-to-date list of authorized sureties on its website.

We encourage you to use the Lead Item Pricing Calculator, which is designed to help you determine your bid amount for the lead item in the product category and its impact on the non-lead items’ potential single payment amounts (SPAs). Also, you may want to review the Utilization Report. The report indicates the ratios relative to the lead item that will be used to calculate the SPAs for the non-lead items. The Utilization Report also provides 2017 and 2018 allowed amounts for the lead and non-lead items in each product category. Historic and anticipated utilization of the non-lead items are also factors to consider when developing your bid amount for the lead item. 

If requested to substantiate your bid amount for the lead item, you should provide an explanation that describes how you arrived at the amount, including factors such as anticipated costs (i.e., direct and indirect) for the lead and non-lead items and desired profit.

Bid amounts for the lead item will be evaluated to ensure you can acquire the item at realistic and feasible costs based on the submitted documentation. To determine whether a bid is bona fide, the bid amount for each lead item will be evaluated and compared to all other bidders’ bid amounts submitted for the same lead item throughout all competitive bidding areas. When calculating the bid amount for the lead item, you should determine if its gross profit margin is sustainable for furnishing all items in the product category.

Yes. You can complete either Form A or Form B over a period of time and go back and make changes before the bid window closes. It’s very important to save what you’ve entered and once finished, to view the status page to ensure all information is complete (i.e., Form A is certified, and Form B is approved).

Licenses should not be uploaded in Connexion. You must have current, non-expired state licenses reflected in PECOS for each supplier location included on your bid by the close of the bid window on September 18, 2019. In addition, please make sure your licenses are maintained and reflected in PECOS throughout the bid evaluation period. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) cannot award contracts with locations that are not properly licensed. A DMEPOS State License Directory is located on the National Supplier Clearinghouse (NSC) website.

No, the contact person you assign in DBidS on Form A does not have to be an AO or BAO. However, we will not speak to anyone regarding your bid without approval from an AO or BAO.

Yes. You have until the close of the bid window to add, change, or delete your bid(s) in the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Bidding System, DBidS. Please be aware if any changes are made to Form A or Form B after either form has been approved or certified, the authorized official (AO) or a backup authorized official (BAO) must then re-approve Form A and/or re-certify Form B. If the AO or a BAO does not re-approve or re-certify the form(s), your bid will be incomplete and cannot be further evaluated.

You will find Form A and Form B in the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Bidding System, DBidS. To enter DBidS, go to the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) website and select the Portals tab at the top of the page. You can also click on Bidding in the left menu on the Round 2021 page of the CBIC website, and then choose DBidS: DMEPOS Bidding System. Then, click the "Bid Now in DBidS" button.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Enterprise Portal System Use Notification page will appear. Read and agree to the terms and conditions by clicking "Accept." The CMS Enterprise Portal User ID page will appear. Enter your user ID and click "Next." You will then see the CMS Enterprise Portal Password page. Enter your password and click "Log In." Click "Enter DBidS" on the DMEPOS Bidding System (DBidS) Welcome page.

Contracts are awarded to eligible bidders who meet the requirements outlined in the Request for Bids (RFB) Instructions, including being accredited by a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved accrediting organization and licensed by the state as applicable, and whose bid amounts fall at or below the pivotal bid*. Like any Medicare-enrolled supplier, bidders who are awarded contracts are expected to comply with the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Supplier Standards and the DMEPOS Quality Standards. In addition, contract suppliers must comply with the terms of their competitive bidding contract throughout the contract period of performance. Please see the Contract Supplier Obligations, Monitoring, and Education fact sheet for additional information.

* Pivotal Bid - The lowest bid for the lead item in the product category based on bids submitted by suppliers for a product category in a CBA (competition) that includes a sufficient number of suppliers to meet the projected beneficiary demand for the items in that competition.

Yes. A contract supplier must furnish all competitively bid items under its contract to any beneficiary who maintains a permanent residence in or visits a CBA and requests a competitively bid item(s) from the contract supplier. If the contract supplier is physically located outside the CBA, the contract supplier is still required to service the entire CBA. More information can be found in the Contract Supplier Obligations, Monitoring, and Education fact sheet.

Bids are screened to ensure they are bona fide. This means that your bid amount for the lead item – which also includes consideration for furnishing the non-lead items in the product category, historic and anticipated utilization of the non-lead items, and desired profit – must be rational and feasible for you to furnish the item at your bid amount.

You should submit supporting documentation for the purchase of a new non-invasive ventilator (E0466). The documentation may include, but is not limited to, manufacturer invoices, receipts (including retail sales receipts), manufacturer price lists, signed written quotes, and/or other financial information. This documentation can be obtained from manufacturers, distributors, retail sales facilities, Internet sales facilities, or any other sources that can legally sell suppliers the item. It is also important that you include a narrative rationale that describes your ability to furnish the non-invasive ventilator.

Not all bidders are sent a Notice to Substantiate Your Bid(s) in Connexion. These notices were only sent when additional information was needed to support bidders' lead item bid amounts. 

If you are unable to provide the required documentation substantiating your bid amount for the lead item in a competitive bidding area and product category combination (competition), your bid will be disqualified for that competition. However, if you bid in other competitions and you provide supporting documentation to substantiate those bid amounts, or if you were not asked to provide documentation, your bids for those competitions would still be eligible for further consideration.

A bona fide bid is an offer to furnish an item or items for a particular price and time period that includes, where appropriate, any services that are directly related to the furnishing of the item or items. For Round 2021, bidders only submitted a bid amount for the lead item in each product category but that bid amount should have included all anticipated costs, including overhead, and desired profit associated with furnishing both the lead item and non-lead items in the product category throughout the competitive bidding area.

We will review both documents that were successfully uploaded in Connexion within the 10 business day response period. The document that best meets the criteria outlined in the Request for Bids Instructions will be considered as your response to the Notice of Covered Document Review Findings and Required Action. 

Unfortunately, we cannot allow extensions. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' regulations (42 CFR § 414.414(d)(2)(iii)) require bidders to respond to the Notice of Covered Document Review Findings and Required Action no later than 10 business days after the notice was issued. 

Not all bidders are sent a Notice of Covered Document Review Findings and Required Action in Connexion. These notices are only sent to bidders who submitted a required financial document by the covered document review date. 

You must upload a copy of your business’ credit report showing a numerical credit score or rating, your company’s name, and the date that the credit report was prepared – no earlier than 90 calendar days prior to the opening of the bid window. If the numerical credit score or rating is generated separately from your credit report, your company’s name and the date it was prepared must be shown on the credit report and included with the numerical credit score or rating. Your business credit report must be from one of the four approved credit reporting agencies and include one of the acceptable numerical credit scores or ratings listed in the Request for Bids (RFB) Instructions.

If your business’ credit report is not available, a personal credit report for the primary business owner is acceptable. However, a personal credit report with a numerical credit score or rating is not acceptable from bidders filing a regular ‘C’ corporation tax return (Form 1120), except in cases of newly formed corporations. Please see the Required Financial Documents fact sheet for more information. 

Although not required, we recommend including your bidder number on each required document. It is helpful when reviewing your financial documents. As a reminder, bidders must upload the required financial documents specified in the Request for Bids (RFB) Instructions in Connexion, the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program’s secure portal, by the close of the bid window. 

The required financial statements (e.g., income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows) must be prepared on the same accounting basis: accrual, cash, or tax. However, the required financial documents can be prepared on a mix of accrual, cash, and/or tax basis (e.g., tax return extract prepared on a cash basis and the financial statements prepared on an accrual basis is acceptable).

For Round 2021, under the lead item pricing methodology, the single payment amount (SPA) for the lead item Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) code is the maximum bid amount submitted for that item by suppliers whose bids for the item are in the winning range in that competitive bidding area and product category combination (competition). Therefore, all bidders who are awarded a contract for a competition will be paid at the maximum winning bid amount for the competition. Please see the Lead Item Pricing fact sheet for additional information on the lead item pricing methodology and how the SPAs for non-lead items in the product category will be calculated. 

The 2019 unadjusted fee schedule is maintained by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and is not published. However, the 2019 unadjusted fees are used as bid limits for the Round 2021 lead items and can be found on our website.

A supplier’s bid for a lead item represents its bid for furnishing the lead item and all non-lead items in the product category, i.e., each supplier now submits one composite bid for furnishing all of the items in the product category as a whole. Therefore, due to lead item pricing, it is not feasible to use pricing documentation (e.g., invoices) alone to determine if the supplier’s composite bid is bona fide. While the lead item is, generally speaking, the major revenue generator for suppliers, CMS will review pricing documentation for the lead item and other information to substantiate the supplier’s ability to furnish both the lead item and non-lead items in the product category.

For example, in addition to requiring pricing documentation for the lead item, suppliers who are required to substantiate their bid will also be required to submit a narrative rationale that describes their ability to furnish all items in the product category. An acceptable narrative rationale should demonstrate how the supplier considered the impact its bid amount for the lead item would have on the potential single payment amounts for the non-lead items. If a supplier is asked to provide a narrative rationale and documentation to substantiate its bid amount and they do not provide the necessary information, or the information provided does not substantiate its bid amount, that supplier’s bid for the applicable competitive bidding area (CBA) and product category combination(s) will be disqualified.

As a reminder, Round 2021 of the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program will be the first time that bid surety bonds are required. While we will continue to screen and evaluate all bids to ensure they are bona fide, requiring that bidders obtain a bid surety bond for each CBA in which they submit a bid is an additional measure to ensure that bids are bona fide in Round 2021. 

If your Notice of Preliminary Bid Evaluation indicates your location is not properly licensed, you should refer to the DMEPOS State Licensure Directory on the National Supplier Clearinghouse (NSC) website, and if necessary, contact the applicable state licensing agency. However, if your location is exempt from a state licensing requirement, then you must upload documentation to support your exemption in Connexion, the program’s secure portal, as described in Table 1 of your Notice of Preliminary Bid Evaluation. 

If your financial documents were uploaded in Connexion, the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program’s secure portal, by the covered document review date (CDRD) on August 19, 2019, you should have received an email on November 15, 2019, instructing you to log into Connexion to view your notice. The email was sent to the authorized official, and any backup authorized officials or end users who registered for your organization. 

The Notice of Covered Document Findings and Required Action is separate from the Notice of Preliminary Bid Evaluation. If you did not upload your financial documents in Connexion by the CDRD, then you would not receive an email pertaining to the Notice of Covered Document Findings and Required Action.  

No, you will not be contacted by the CBIC. The CBIC will not receive a copy of your license from the NSC, but will check your enrollment records in the Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS) during the bid evaluation period to verify if the locations on your bid were properly licensed by the close of the bid window on September 18, 2019. All bidders will be informed of their bid results once bid evaluation and contracting are completed. 

A BAO is not required; however, we encourage bidders to register at least one BAO in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Enterprise Portal to assist with the bidding process. A BAO has the same capabilities as the authorized official (AO) in the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Bidding System, DBidS, and Connexion, the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program’s secure portal. It’s important to note that a BAO must be listed as an AO on your CMS-855S Medicare enrollment application and reflected in the Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS).

Yes, but you can only be an EU for multiple organizations if the authorized official (AO) is the same for all the applicable organizations. The AO will need to approve any EU’s access requests for the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Bidding System, DBidS, and Connexion, the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program’s secure portal.

Any person listed as an AO on your CMS-855S enrollment application and reflected in the Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS) can serve as an AO or backup authorized official (BAO) for bidding purposes. If a BAO is registered in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Enterprise Portal for your company, the BAO can be promoted to the AO role. Please see How to Update Information in the CMS Enterprise Portal for guidance.

However, if no one is registered in the CMS Enterprise Portal as a BAO, you may add another individual who is listed as an AO on your enrollment application and in PECOS as an AO for bidding purposes. If you have not already done so, please contact the National Supplier Clearinghouse (NSC) to update your enrollment application with your new AO information. 

If your companies are bidding in the same competitive bidding area (CBA) for the same product category, you should register with one PTAN; both companies must bid together as they are commonly owned and cannot compete against each other. However, if your companies are not competing against each other in the same product category and CBA combination, you have the option to register a PTAN for each company and submit separate bids. If you choose to do this, you must upload separate financial documents for each company as well as separate bid surety bonds for each CBA in which each company bids. For more information on commonly owned and/or commonly controlled entities, please see the Common Ownership and Common Control fact sheet and the Request for Bids (RFB) Instructions. Additional information on bid surety bonds can be found on the Bid Surety Bonds page. 

Yes, all users (authorized officials, backup authorized officials, and end users) must request to add access to Connexion and DBidS regardless of whether they previously had access. For more information on registering for a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Enterprise Portal account, please see the CMS Enterprise Portal User Manual and for requesting to add access to the applications, see the Registration Reference Guide for DBidS and Connexion.

If you have an active Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Enterprise Portal user ID and password (to access applications such as DBidS, Connexion, SPOT-FCSO, PS&R, Novitasphere, or HPG/HETS), you do not need to apply for a new CMS Enterprise Portal user ID and password, but you should go to the CMS Enterprise Portal and confirm it is still active. It is also important to ensure the email address associated with your CMS Enterprise Portal account is correct and remains active throughout bidding and bid evaluation since critical information will be communicated to you using this email address.

However, you must also request access to the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Bidding System, DBidS, and Connexion, the program’s secure portal. To request access to DBidS and Connexion:

1. From the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) website, click Portals in the top navigation bar.
2. Click CMS Enterprise Portal.
3. Click Register Now.
4. Enter your CMS Enterprise Portal user ID and password and click Login.
5. Click the Request/Add Apps button on the My Portal page.
6. Locate the specific application (DBidS or Connexion) in the Access Catalog and click the Request Access button.
7. Select the group "I want to register as an Authorized Official, Backup Authorized Official, or End User..."
8. Select your new role (authorized official (AO), backup authorized official (BAO), or end user (EU)) and click Next.
9. Complete the Identity Verification by agreeing to the Terms and Conditions, entering your information, and answering a series of questions. 
   Note: A user is only prompted to complete identity verification one time. If you have already requested a role, you will not be prompted again. However, if you are a new user, you will be requested to complete identity verification.
10. Review instructions regarding multi-factor authentication (MFA) and select one of the choices provided: Add MFA, Skip MFA, or Cancel.
11. Complete the required fields on the Request New Application Access page by entering the same Provider Transaction Access Number (PTAN) you provided when you registered to request access for DBidS and Connexion.* Enter the reason for your request in the Reason for Request field (e.g., "Associate with a PTAN" or "Enter bid data"), then click Next.
12. The Request New Application Access Review page will display. If the information shown is correct, click Submit.
13. The Request New Application Access Acknowledgement page will appear with your request tracking number. You will also receive a verification email. Your role will take up to five minutes to display on the View and Manage My Access page. 

* If you are an authorized official (AO), you must enter your organization’s information before submitting your request for access. If you are a backup authorized official (BAO) or end user (EU), search for the PTAN your AO used to register, and then select your organization from the Organization drop down box. 

Go to the CMS Enterprise Portal. In the middle of the page, under the Login button, click the Password link. Enter your user ID and click Next. Three challenge questions will appear for you to answer. You have three chances to answer all these questions correctly. If you try three times and do not succeed, your account will be locked. After you answer the three challenge questions, enter your new password in the New Password field. Re-enter the password in the Confirm Password field and click the Next button. 

If you made three unsuccessful attempts to log in, your account may have been locked. You may wait 60 minutes for your account to be automatically unlocked, or you may call the CBIC customer service center at 877-577-5331 to unlock your account.

If you are an authorized official (AO) or backup authorized official (BAO), the new role may not show immediately. Log out of the CMS Enterprise Portal and wait five minutes before logging in and viewing your access. 

If you are a BAO, the role will not display until it has been approved by the AO. 
If you are an end user (EU), the role will not display until it has been approved by the AO or a BAO. 

If you receive a message about browser compatibility in the My Access area, you should press the F12 key on your keyboard. A panel will appear and display your Browser Mode and Document Mode. Click on Browser Mode and select the applicable browser, such as Internet Explorer 11. Click on Document Mode and select Standards (Page Default). Your browser will refresh and you will be able continue. The CMS Enterprise Portal supports the following browsers with JavaScript enabled:

     - Internet Explorer 11 (native browser mode)
     - Firefox
     - Google Chrome
     - Safari

Your organization’s authorized official (AO) must first register in the CMS Enterprise Portal. Registering additional users, such as BAOs or EUs, cannot be completed until the AO has successfully registered in the CMS Enterprise Portal. Once registered, the AO must then approve the registration of additional users.