Fact Sheets

On April 9, 2020, the non-invasive ventilators product category was removed from Round 2021 due to the novel COVID-19 pandemic. On October 27, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the single payment amounts and began offering contracts for the off-the-shelf (OTS) back braces and OTS knee braces product categories. All other product categories were removed from Round 2021. Please see the CMS announcement for additional information. The items listed below were not revised to remove these product categories to preserve information available at the time of bidding (i.e., prior to removal of the product categories on October 27, 2020).

Resources

The antitrust laws protect competition and prohibit collusion. Price fixing, bid rigging, and other forms of collusion, including agreements to allocate customers or divide markets, are illegal.
Updated: 05/07/2019
Information for bidders and authorized sureties regarding the bid surety bond requirement.
Updated: 03/07/2019
Bidders that receive a bid disqualification notice may submit an inquiry regarding the bid disqualification(s), otherwise referred to as the bidder inquiry process.
Updated: 10/27/2020
Examples of when a change of ownership (CHOW) occurs for purposes of requesting a contract be transferred. Updated on 11/17/2022 to include information on the National Provider Enrollment Eastern Region (NPEAST) and the National Provider Enrollment Western Region (NPWEST) Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) contractors.
Updated: 11/17/2022
Suppliers are prohibited from competing against themselves when submitting bids in the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program.
Updated: 05/07/2019
Contract suppliers are responsible for fulfilling all terms of their contracts, starting on the very first day of the contract period, for the duration of the contract period of performance.
Updated: 10/27/2020
Medicare enrolled DMEPOS suppliers, including DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program contract suppliers, must meet the DMEPOS quality standards.
Updated: 05/07/2019
Medicare enrolled DMEPOS suppliers, including DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program contract suppliers, must meet the DMEPOS supplier standards.
Updated: 05/07/2019
A bidder must meet certain eligibility requirements before it can be awarded a contract under the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program.
Updated: 05/07/2019
CMS would like to share some reminders and information to assist suppliers in the event of an emergency or disaster.
Updated: 10/26/2020
With the exception of skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and nursing facilities (NFs) that become specialty suppliers, contract suppliers for the enteral nutrition product category must furnish services to beneficiaries throughout the competitive bidding area (CBA), regardless of whether a beneficiary lives in a private residence or institutional setting.
Updated: 10/27/2020
Non-contract suppliers are not eligible for Medicare Part B payment for furnishing competitively bid items in a CBA unless one or more exemptions apply.
Updated: 10/27/2020
Information about the financial scoring process used to evaluate a bidder’s financial health.
Updated: 07/18/2019
Suppliers that are not awarded a DMEPOS Competitive Bidding contract for furnishing oxygen and oxygen equipment or rented durable medical equipment (DME) in a CBA can decide to be grandfathered suppliers for Medicare beneficiaries to whom they are furnishing these items at the time Round 2021 is implemented. Updated on 10/10/2019 to clarify the grandfathering policy for continuous use rental items.
Updated: 10/27/2020
An exception that allows hospitals to furnish certain competitively bid items in a CBA to their own patients without submitting a bid and being selected as a contract supplier.
Updated: 10/27/2020
Information on the lead item pricing methodology.
Updated: 10/27/2020
Bidders must meet all applicable state licensing requirements for every item in the product category.
Updated: 10/27/2020
As a contract supplier for the Medicare DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program, you must comply with all applicable state and local laws. This includes maintaining compliance with all applicable state and local licensing requirements pertaining to functions under your contract throughout the duration of the contract period.
Updated: 10/27/2020
This fact sheet is for DMEPOS suppliers and all provider types who order, refer, or provide DMEPOS items to their patients.
Updated: 10/26/2020
Physicians and other treating practitioners who are enrolled as Medicare DMEPOS suppliers may furnish certain competitively bid items in a CBA to their own patients without submitting a bid and being selected as a contract supplier if specific requirements are met.
Updated: 10/27/2020
Bidders will be provided with preliminary bid evaluation findings and an opportunity to validate any enrollment requirements not met by the close of the bid window.
Updated: 05/07/2019
The DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program includes a special beneficiary safeguard to ensure that beneficiaries have access to specific brands or modes of delivery of competitively bid items when needed to avoid an adverse medical outcome.
Updated: 05/07/2019
Information about the process that allows bidders to be notified of any missing financial documents.
Updated: 03/07/2019
Individuals dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid account for a disproportionate share of Medicare expenditures, and we anticipate that you will be furnishing services to dually eligible beneficiaries in your area. It is especially important to understand the special protections for the 7.7 million who are “Qualified Medicare Beneficiaries” and, therefore, exempt from Medicare cost-sharing charges.
Updated: 10/27/2020
This fact sheet is for all provider types who order or refer DMEPOS items to their patients.
Updated: 10/26/2020
This fact sheet contains important information about repairs and replacements of beneficiary-owned equipment under the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program.
Updated: 10/27/2020
Information on the required financial documents that each bidder must upload in Connexion.
Updated: 03/07/2019
The DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program regulations require that each bidder must submit a bona fide bid that complies with all the terms and conditions specified in the Request for Bids Instructions.
Updated: 05/07/2019
Describes how CMS establishes projected beneficiary demand and awards a sufficient number of contracts to meet projected beneficiary demand.
Updated: 10/27/2020
SNFs and NFs are subject to the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program to the extent that competitively bid items and services are furnished to their residents under Medicare Part B.
Updated: 10/27/2020
The Social Security Act mandates that appropriate steps be taken to ensure that small suppliers have an opportunity to be considered for participation in the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program.
Updated: 05/07/2019
A DMEPOS supplier is responsible for furnishing the item, billing Medicare, and coordinating the care for a beneficiary in compliance with the physician’s order and Medicare rules and guidelines. However, a DMEPOS supplier may subcontract certain services to another supplier.
Updated: 05/07/2019
All of the existing rules and regulations regarding marketing DMEPOS to beneficiaries under the fee-for-service program also apply to DMEPOS contract suppliers under competitive bidding.
Updated: 10/27/2020
A glossary of key terms under the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program. Updated on 11/17/2022 to include information on the National Provider Enrollment Eastern Region (NPEAST) and the National Provider Enrollment Western Region (NPWEST) Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) contractors.
Updated: 11/17/2022
Guidelines for a contract supplier that is selling a distinct company and furnishes a specific product category or services a specific competitive bidding area, and requests to transfer the portion of its contract serviced by that distinct company.
Updated: 10/27/2020
Guidelines for a contract supplier that is negotiating a change of ownership (CHOW) and requests a transfer of its entire contract.
Updated: 10/27/2020
A beneficiary who is renting DME or oxygen and oxygen equipment may switch to a contract supplier at any time during Round 2021 of the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program.
Updated: 10/27/2020
This fact sheet is designed to provide education to DMEPOS suppliers that provide items to Medicare beneficiaries who reside in or travel to competitive bidding areas. It includes information on how to determine whether a beneficiary is in a traveling status, how to properly bill Medicare for the item, and how Medicare will determine the payment amount.
Updated: 10/27/2020
Round 2021 includes the following changes to the program. Updated on 10/27/2020 to add the “Increased Transparency for Bidders” section.
Updated: 10/27/2020
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Updated: 10/27/2020