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Why is Accreditation Essential?
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services established new requirements for suppliers and providers of DMEPOS which include custom-fabricated, custom-fitted, and pre-fabricated orthoses or splints. The Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003 was enacted into law for the purpose of determining payment for DEMPOS, controlling healthcare costs, ensuring quality healthcare services to Medicare beneficiaries, and limiting the burden on beneficiaries by reducing their out-of-pocket expenses. As a part of this Act, new Quality Business Standards were finalized in August 2006 to help ensure that:
- Medicare beneficiaries receive quality DMEPOS
- Providers and suppliers of DMEPOS are qualified
It is for these reasons that suppliers of DMEPOS must become accredited and that a competitive bidding process has been initiated.
Who Needs to Become Accredited?
Suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, and orthotics who bill under Medicare Part B.
It is important to understand that all facilities and suppliers with an existing DMERC number that supply durable medical equipment, prosthetics, and/or orthotics will NOT be grandfathered into the new accreditation requirement. Every facility will need to be accredited in order to be a supplier.
When Does a Supplier Need to be Accredited?
CMS has not released the date whereby all Suppliers need to be accredited in order to maintain or obtain a National Supplier Clearinghouse number to bill DMEPOS to CMS. It is anticipated the
deadline will be released at some point in 2007.
For those facilities that have chosen to participate in competitive bidding for DMEPOS the deadline has been extended to October 31, 2007.
DEADLINE EXTENSIONS FOR DMEPOS COMPETITIVE BIDDING
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is extending the bid submission, registration, and accreditation deadlines for the first round of the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program. All bids are now due by 9:00 p.m. prevailing Eastern Time on September 25, 2007; the registration deadline is August 27, 2007; and the accreditation deadline is October 31, 2007. Suppliers that have already submitted their bids may revise and resubmit their bids until the new deadline. Suppliers that resubmit bids must submit a new certification statement. Full instructions for submitting a bid are located on the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) website.
What is Competitive Bidding?
CMS has established a competitive bidding process for certain DMEPOS to be implemented in 2007. The final rule for competitive bidding was released on April 10, 2007. Please log on to the following links for more information on competitive bidding.
Spotlights:
Please note that certain professionals have been eliminated from the competitive bidding process indicated be a press release issued by CMS on April 2, 2007. The statement reads as follows:
“CMS is creating a limited exception to the competitive bidding requirement that will allow certain treating professionals to furnish items on the competitive bidding list to their own patients without having to participate in bidding and without becoming a contract supplier. This exception would apply to certain specified items furnished by physicians, physician assistants, clinical nurse specialists, nurse practitioners, occupational therapists in private practice, and physical therapists in private practice. In addition, the item must be furnished as part of their professional services. CMS believes that allowing this type of arrangement to continue will promote the efficient and uninterrupted delivery of care to beneficiaries.“
This elimination from competitive bidding does NOT exclude those professionals from the accreditation process.
For information on the Accreditation Requirements, Steps to Accreditation, and the Application Process, click here.
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