As a delegated official on my organization's CMS-855S form, how should I register for bidding purposes – as an authorized official (AO), backup authorized official (BAO), or end user (EU)?
If you are not listed as an AO on your organization’s CMS-855S enrollment form, but you are someone the company trusts to conduct company business (delegated official), you may only register as an end user (EU). As an EU, you can help create your organization’s bid and enter bid information but cannot approve the registrations of others associated with your organization, approve Form A, or certify Form B. Only individuals listed as an authorized official on the CMS-855S form may register in IACS as an authorized official or backup authorized official.
For more information on user roles and capabilities in IACS, please view the IACS Reference Guide.
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Can I register as an end user for more than one company?
It most cases, this is not permitted. The only time you are allowed to access more than one bidding organization’s application in the DMEPOS Bidding System (DBidS) is if all companies/organizations have the same authorized official and the same provider transaction access numbers (PTANs). This would ONLY occur if the authorized official registered two or more PTANs for locations that furnish distinct product lines in the same competitive bidding area (CBA) and do not compete with one another for the same business.
For more information on associating to an organization, please view the IACS Reference Guide.
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Can I share my User ID and password with others in my organization so they may access the bidding system?
No. Do not disclose or lend your User ID and/or password to anyone else. They are for your use only and serve as your electronic signature. This means that you will be held responsible for the consequences of unauthorized or illegal transactions. Sharing of accounts may lead to termination of system access privileges and/or adverse action up to and including legal prosecution. Those that intend to view or enter bid data for your organization need to register and obtain their own User IDs and passwords.
For information on how to register, please view the IACS Reference Guide.
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How do I register in IACS?
Please review the IACS Reference Guide available on this website for detailed steps on how to register in IACS. We encourage you to register early so that you may access the bidding system to complete your bid application as soon as possible. Upon successfully completing registration, you will receive a User ID and password to access the DMEPOS bidding system, DBidS.
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How do I remove a member of my organization/company from being able to access the bid system?
It is very important that you contact the Competitive Bidding Program customer service center at 1-877-577-5331 for assistance. If the user is not removed, that user will continue to have access to confidential bid data. A customer service representative will remove the member’s association to your organization. The member will no longer be able to access or view any information in the registration system, enter bid data, or submit a bid to the Competitive Bidding Program for the bidding organization.
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How do I remove myself from my organization if I no longer wish to be involved with the registration or bidding process? (Disassociate from an organization).
Backup authorized officials (BAOs) and end users (EUs) are able to use the disassociate feature in IACS to remove themselves. Authorized officials (AOs) may also use this feature, but only if they are the only member of their organization that is registered in IACS. This means there is not a BAO or an EU associated to that AO’s organization(s). No user (AO, BAO or EU) may remove another user.
To view instructions on how to disassociate a user from an organization, please refer to the IACS Reference Guide available on this website.
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How do I update my user information such as name, date of birth, e-mail address, telephone number, etc. in IACS?
You can find specific instructions for updating your e-mail address, phone number, company name and address in the IACS Reference Guide located on this website under Round 1 Recompete Bidding Suppliers.
Your name and date of birth can be updated in IACS. However, you must call the Competitive Bidding Program customer service center at 1-877-577-5331 for assistance.
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I am submitting a bid as a network supplier; can I also submit a bid as an individual supplier and how does this affect my registration?
You may submit separate bids as a member of a network and as an individual supplier in the following scenarios:
- You are bidding on different product categories within the same competitive bidding area (CBA);
- You are bidding on the same product category in a different CBA; or
- You are bidding on a different product category in a different CBA.
If you are planning to submit a bid as an individual supplier outside of the network and you are the primary network member for the network, you will register in IACS once as the authorized official with a Provider Transaction Access Number (PTAN) for the network bid and add or associate another PTAN for your individual bid. You will need to use the “Creating an Organization” feature in IACS to add a PTAN as an individual supplier.
If you were not the primary network member who registered the network (your PTAN was NOT used for the network’s registration), you will need to register as an individual supplier in IACS to submit a bid.
For more information on registering in IACS or adding a PTAN (creating an organization) in IACS, please view the IACS Reference Guide.
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I registered previously to compete in other rounds. Do I need to register again?
Yes. In order to participate in the Round 1 Recompete, all suppliers are required to first register in IACS. This includes suppliers that bid in any previous rounds and are interested in competing in the Round 1 Recompete.
For more information on how to register, please view the IACS Getting Started Checklist.
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Is there anything I should do to prepare to register in IACS?
- Choose one (1) authorized official (AO) listed on the CMS-855S enrollment form to act as your AO for registration purposes. Your company may have multiple individuals listed as the AO on the CMS-855S enrollment form on file in Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS) as well as with the National Supplier Clearinghouse (NSC). However, for IACS registration purposes, you may only have one AO register for the Competitive Bidding Program. The other AOs included on the CMS-855S enrollment form may act as backup authorized officials (BAOs). Backup authorized officials have many of the same registration and bidding capabilities as an authorized official.
- You may view your enrollment information on the Medicare PECOS application if you have registered with External User Services or EUS. For more information about registering with EUS to view your PECOS information, please refer to the EUS website at www.eushelpdesk.com or you may contact EUS at 866-523-4759.
- Ensure that your enrollment information on file with the NSC and in PECOS is current and correct. The last names and Social Security numbers of AOs and BAOs must match that on file in PECOS in order to complete registration.
- Suppliers should also verify that the AO’s and BAO’s name on file with the NSC, as listed in PECOS matches their legal name on their Social Security card. The end users’ (EU) last name, and Social Security number will be validated with the Social Security Administration files.
- Visit the NSC’s website at www.palmettogba.com/nsc to review information about updating your enrollment information. Please keep in mind that the NSC has up to 45 days to update your file. You may find change-of-information assistance and forms on the NSC’s website or you may contact the NSC at 1-866-238-9652. Read the IACS Reference Guide prior to accessing IACS.
- Determine which Provider Transaction Access Number (PTAN) will be used for registration. In most cases, you should only register one time with one PTAN. You may register with any active PTAN that has been assigned to your organization; however, there are two occasions when you need to add (associate) another PTAN to your organization. If a supplier has more than one location and one or more locations furnish a different product category that does not compete against another, such as pharmacy and DME, the authorized official (AO) would register one NSC number to represent one product category and add (associate) another PTAN to that organization. Also, if you are the primary network bidder and you are also bidding as an individual in another competitive bidding area/product category competition, you would register once with a PTAN for the network bid and then add (associate) another PTAN to the organization for your individual bid. For more information, please review the IACS Reference Guide.
- Make sure that the e-mail address you enter in IACS is correct and is working. This is very important because you will be sent e-mails containing critical information during your registration process.
- Prepare your computer! To optimize your access to the various screens in IACS, please ensure that the following criteria are met:
- Screen Resolution: These screens are designed to be viewed at a minimum screen resolution
of 800 x 600.
- Internet Browser: Use Internet Explorer, version 6.0 or higher.
- Plugins: Verify that the latest version of JAVA and/or ActiveX is installed on your PC.
- Pop-up Blockers: Disable pop-up blockers prior to attempting to access the CMS Applications
Portal.
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My company is bidding on two product lines in the same CBA and the AO has registered with two PTANS because these product lines are offered out of different locations. How do I associate my profile to each PTAN as a backup authorized official or end user?
Please refer to the Instructions on How to Associate with an Organization link on the Round 1 Recompete portion of the Competitive Bidding Program's website by selecting Bidding Suppliers and then Registration. The authorized official (AO) does not need to register twice but only needs to add (or associate) a second Provider Transaction Access Number (PTAN) to their organization. This guide will explain how to associate or add a backup authorized official (BAO) or an end user (EU) to your user profile for the additional PTAN. Remember, a BAO or EU may complete this process only if the AO is the same for both PTANs. After the request to associate an organization is submitted, the AO must approve the addition.
For additional information on registering and associating with an organization, please view the IACS Reference Guide.
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My partners and I own several DME companies. Do I need to register each company separately?
No. Only one authorized official (AO) should register one time for his or her organization consisting of commonly owned or controlled companies, including parent-subsidiaries. The AO may register using any active Provider Transaction Access Number (PTAN) assigned to any of the commonly owned locations. The other commonly owned locations will be added on Form A in DBidS by the bidder. If a commonly owned or controlled supplier organization is awarded a contract, all eligible locations listed on Form A will be considered contract suppliers for the awarded CBA/product category competition(s).
If a company with multiple locations that are commonly owned or commonly controlled submits multiple bids for the same product category in the same CBA, the bids will be rejected because the program rules do not allow commonly owned or commonly controlled supplier organizations to bid against themselves.
For more information, please view the Common Ownership and Control fact sheet.
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The authorized official is no longer with our company. How do we update our information (Convert a BAO to an AO)?
Contact the Competitive Bidding Program customer service center at 1-877-577-5331 for assistance. During the registration period, a customer service representative will assign your backup authorized official (BAO) to the authorized official’s (AO) role. The Provider Transaction Access Number (PTAN) entered by the original AO will now be associated to the new AO. Once the change has been completed, the original AO will no longer be associated with the bidding organization.
Once a user is disassociated or removed from a bidding organization, that user cannot access or modify any information in IACS, enter bid data, or submit a bid to the Competitive Bidding Program for the organization.
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What does commonly owned or commonly controlled mean?
The final rule defines common ownership as two or more suppliers with one or more having an ownership interest totaling at least 5 percent in the other. "Ownership interest" is defined as "the possession of equity in the capital, the stock or the profits of another supplier."
Commonly controlled means that an owner of one supplier organization is also an officer, director or partner in another supplier organization.
For more information, please view the Common Ownership or Control fact sheet.
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What is IACS?
IACS stands for: Individuals Authorized Access to the CMS Computer Services. It is an online application that allows authorized users to access the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid's (CMS) secure systems, including the DMEPOS Bidding System, referred to as DBidS.
For more information, please view the IACS Reference Guide.
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What is the difference among the "user roles?"
IACS assigns a "user role" to individuals who will be performing specific functions during the bidding process. There are three types of assigned user roles in IACS:
Authorized Official (AO) – Each supplier's bidding organization will be allowed only one AO for registration purposes. The AO’s role is instrumental in bidding. The AO’s role must be active to avoid all other users for the organization from losing access to the DMEPOS bidding system, DBidS. The AO’s role is to:
- Register a company or bidding organization. The AO is the only individual that can register the
company or organization in IACS;
- Update the organization’s information. The AO is the only individual that can modify an
organization’s profile information in IACS;
- Approve or reject backup authorized official (BAO) and end user (EU) access to the organization;
- Enter and view bid data; and
- Approve Form A and certify Form B in DBidS. This function can also be performed by the BAO.
NOTE: For registration purposes, there can be only ONE AO for a bidding organization. However, there may be multiple AOs listed on the CMS-855S enrollment form with the National Supplier Clearinghouse (NSC). The other AOs on the CMS-855S form may register as BAOs. However, it is important to note that the AO is accountable and responsible for the actions of those he or she approves into the organization to view or submit bid data.
Backup Authorized Official (BAO) - Each supplier organization may designate one or more BAOs. A BAO has many of the same capabilities as the AO.
- A BAO must also be listed as an AO on the CMS-855S enrollment form.
- While there can only be ONE AO, there can be more than one BAO for an organization.
- A BAO can associate with more than one company or organization as long as that organization has
the same AO. This situation would rarely occur and ONLY occur if the supplier (AO) registered
with more than one PTAN, each representing a different location that furnishes non-competing
product lines (such as pharmacy and DME). For example, Apex DME Company has three (3) AOs
listed on their CMS-855S enrollment application – John, Mary, and Sally. Mary is selected to be the
designated AO for IACS registration. So, John and Sally become the BAOs. Mary is also the AO
listed with on the enrollment form and in IACS for Apex Pharmacy Company. So, John and Sally
may also be the BAO for Apex Pharmacy. This will allow John and Sally to view, modify and enter
bid data for both Apex DME and Apex Pharmacy.
- A BAO has the authority to approve or reject an end user’s request to be included on the
company’s registration profile and access the organization’s bid to enter and view data.
- A BAO can enter bid data.
- A BAO can approve Form A and certify Form B in DBidS.
Including at least one BAO in IACS is highly recommended to avoid any disruption in the bidding process. The AO's role is instrumental to bidding. The AO's role must be active to avoid all other users of the organization from losing access to DBidS. If the AO leaves the organization or is otherwise unavailable, it’s important to have a BAO who can be promoted to an AO role. If you have only one AO listed on your enrollment form, then we encourage you to add another. However, it’s important to remember that the individual must meet certain qualifications to be added as an AO or BAO. You can find the qualifications on the NSC’s website or you can call the NSC for specific information.
End User (EU) - Each supplier organization may have one or more EUs. The EU has limited capabilities.
- An EU is NOT required to be listed on the CMS-855S enrollment form.
- An EU may be someone who is not an AO or a BAO but one whom the company trusts to conduct
company business and enter bid information once the bid window opens.
- Like a BAO, an EU is able to associate to one or more companies or organizations that have the
same AO. This situation would rarely occur and ONLY occur if the supplier (AO) registered with
more than one PTAN, each representing a different location that furnishes non-competing product
lines (such as pharmacy and DME).
- An EU cannot approve Form A or certify Form B. This function must be done by the AO or a BAO.
- There may be multiple EUs but only one EU may be in the DBidS system entering data on the same
form (Form A or Form B) at the same time. If there are multiple Form Bs (one for each product
category and CBA), then there may be one EU entering data on each Form B at the same time.
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Who should register in IACS?
If you are interested in bidding in the Round 1 Recompete competition you must designate an authorized official (AO) to register in IACS. The AO must be listed on the CMS-855S enrollment form with the National Supplier Clearinghouse (NSC) and in the Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS). For competitive bidding purposes, there can be only one AO for an organization registered in IACS.
If NSC enrollment information must be changed or updated, AOs must wait to register in IACS until the NSC has completed the update and the AO receives written confirmation from the NSC. It is important to note that the NSC has up to 45 days to update information. Individuals who are designated by the AOs as a backup authorized official (BAO) or end user (EU) also need to register in IACS if they are to access DBidS on behalf of the bidding supplier organization.
NOTE: You should not register in IACS if you do not plan to submit a bid application.
For more information on how to register in IACS, please view the IACS Reference Guide.
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Will I be able to update my user profile throughout the bidding process?
Yes. You may make limited updates to your user profile during the bid window such as updating your e-mail address and contact information. However, once registration closes, you will not be able to register to obtain a user ID and password or add another user. We strongly encourage authorized officials to register early so that they may approve other users and make any necessary corrections.
For more information on updating your user profile, please view the Modifying User/Contact Information section of the IACS Reference Guide.
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Will I ever need to have more than one PTAN in IACS? If so, how do I add PTANs in IACS?
In most cases, no. You should only register one provider transaction access number (PTAN) to represent all locations. There are only two situations when you are permitted to register in IACS with two or more PTANs. If you have more than one location within the same competitive bidding area (CBA) and one or more of the locations furnishes a different product category that does not compete against another, you would register one PTAN to represent each product category.
For example, you have four (4) locations in Miami. Three (3) of the locations currently provide respiratory equipment and one (1) location provides only enteral nutrition. The location that provides enteral nutrition does not have a license to provide oxygen, and the locations that provide oxygen do not have a license to provide enteral nutrition. As a bidding supplier, you intend to submit a bid to provide oxygen in Miami and another bid to provide enteral nutrition in Miami from your other location. In this case you may have two (2) PTANs associated in IACS representing each bid application for each product category.
The second occasion is if you are the primary network bidder and are also bidding as an individual, you would register once with a PTAN for the network bid and add another PTAN for your individual bid.
For additional information on registering or adding a PTAN (creating an organization) in IACS, please refer to the IACS Reference Guide.
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