Medicare’s DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Round 2021 is now in full effect as of January 1, 2021. (See previous articles about what CBID Round 2021 is all about).
DME providers either participated in the process with hopes of being awarded a bid, or they abstained from doing so. Of those who participated, with Medicare’s recent bid winner announcements, bid winners were happy and bid losers, well not so much – as only those providers awarded a contract could service a Medicare Part B beneficiary for competitively bid product(s) for patients residing in competitive bid areas (“CBA”).
Now what? What are the options for the relationships between ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ in moving forward, if any? Let’s briefly discuss subcontracting.
Becoming a DMEPOS provider enrolled with Medicare is no small feat or undertaking. Whether you’ve started the business from ‘scratch’ or purchased an existing entity, you need to ensure that investment is protected through active and ongoing compliance measures.
To that end, I recently hosted a webinar with Matthew Gruskin, Credentialing Director at Board of Certification (“BOC”) to discuss some of the steps necessary to do so. A copy of our presentation is available here.
Becoming “accredited” is a necessary precursor to being a Medicare Part B DMEPOS provider, and BOC is one of only nine Medicare approved DMEPOS accreditation organizations. Whether it’s through BOC or one of the other eight Medicare approved accreditation organizations, a DMEPOS business’s initial receipt of accreditation is really just a ‘first step’, insofar as if that accreditation is not maintained a DMEPOS supplier will lose their Medicare Part B billing privileges. Medicare’s DMEPOS Supplier Standard #22 specifically requires all enrolled providers to be accredited to receive and retain billing privileges.
A DMEPOS supplier must continue to abide by both Medicare’s DMEPOS Supplier Standards (which the National Supplier Clearinghouse is tasked with enforcing) and its Quality Standards (which accreditation organizations gauge compliance by) in order to stay in its good graces. Accreditation organizations conduct unannounced on-site surveys at least every three years and suppliers must also revalidate their enrollment with Medicare’s National Supplier Clearinghouse every three years, which results in an unannounced Medicare on-site visit.
Attorney Michael Silverman of the Florida Healthcare Law Firm will again team up with Matt Gruskin, Credentialing Director of BOC, to bring you an information packed event. This presentation has been designed to provide expert insights on the essential operational keys to success in the DME industry. Michael will cover an array of topics related to compliant operations, from corporate structure and post-transaction considerations to compliant marketing arrangements and more. Matt will share some tips related to accreditation, including a peek at the process and the maintaining the credential. This is a can’t miss for DME businessowners!
Round 2021 of Medicare’s DMEPOS Competitive Bidding (“CBID”) Program has been a doozy to say the least!
From the complexities of the new bidding process announced in 2019 that I initially wrote here and on this article through the uncertainty regarding whether Round 2021 would ultimately be implemented given the COVID-19 pandemic, the Round 2021 CBID Program that goes into effect on January 1, 2021 is shaping up to be much different than originally anticipated. Allow me to breakdown the changes between ‘then’ and ‘now’:
Video on Round 2021 of Medicare’s DMEPOS Competitive Bidding (“CBID”) Program.
Medicare Part B DMEPOS providers are required to abide by all Supplier Standards in order to obtain and maintain their billing privileges. In this webinar, Attorney Michael Silverman will explain each of the 30 DMEPOS Supplier Standards so that providers are further educated about compliance requirements.
Attorney Mike Silverman of the Florida Healthcare Law Firm will be co-hosting with Board of Certification Credentialing Director Matt Gruskin for a special presentation exclusively focused on the the topic of adding durable medical equipment (DME) to a chiropractic office. As attendees may know, adding DME is a great way to impact a supplier’s revenue, but most importantly is a fantastic mechanism to provide more complete patient care and satisfaction.
During this “lunch n’ learn” Mike & Matt will break down the steps necessary for a chiropractic office to provide DME to its customers, be it cash paying, commercially insured, or Medicare patients alike.
Suppliers looking to participate in the latest rendition of CMS’ Competitive Bidding Program need to act now to try and secure a bid.
Otherwise, once implemented, only DME providers that have won a bid for that specific item in that geographical bid area can service Medicare beneficiaries residing therein.
Here’s a ‘to-do’ list for providers looking to participate with a competitive bid, and the latest timeline updates from CMS.
With the 2021 competitive bidding round on the horizon for durable medical equipment (DME) providers, both those that are established as well as those fairly new to the industry must take note of the potential pitfalls that may be encountered when competing to become a Medicare contract supplier.
The durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) competitive bidding program was first established by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003. Under this program, DMEPOS suppliers submit bids (i.e. applications) and compete to furnish specific items in competitive bidding areas commonly referred to as CBAs. Additionally, suppliers are not just bidding for the rights to a particular CBA but also for a single payment amount that will replace the current Medicare fee schedule payment. The payment will be determined by using the bids submitted. As of December 31, 2018, all contacts have expired. As a result, there is currently a temporary gap period. The upcoming bidding process is loaded with requirements. Therefore, compliance with each requirement is crucial. Here are a few pitfalls to watch out for:
Not tomorrow, but relatively soon. And with a vengeance! We knew the current Competitive Bidding Program moratorium wouldn’t last forever, and that the floodgates that opened as of the first of this year would eventually be reined in.
Indeed, on March 7, 2019 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) announced a new round of Competitive Bidding, which will commence on January 1, 2021 and last through December 31, 2023.
The largest changes from previous rounds of Competitive Bidding that immediately stand out are:
Attorney Michael Silverman will present this live lunch n’ learn webinar for those considering starting a DME business startup or wanting to reconsider some of the legal issues involved in the DME business. He will review the laws, options and risks, and share information regarding state licensure requirements, product offerings and enrolling in Medicare as a Part B supplier.
Health law is the federal, state, and local law, rules, regulations and other jurisprudence among providers, payers and vendors to the healthcare industry and its patient and delivery of health care services; all with an emphasis on operations, regulatory and transactional legal issues.
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