Latebreakers: Bidding for DMEPOS now open

CMS is now soliciting bids for the first round of the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics & Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program. All bids are due by 9:00 P.M. E.S.T. on July 13. The contract period for mail-order diabetes supplies is April 1, 2008, to Dec. 31, 2009. The contract period for all other first-round product categories is April 1, 2008, to March 31, 2011. For each competitive bidding area under the program, CMS has issued a detailed chart providing important bidding information for suppliers. Suppliers interested in bidding must register and receive a user ID and password before they can access the bid submission system. The registration deadline is June 30. The accreditation deadline for the first round of bidding is Aug. 31. For information on how to register and bid, visit http://www.dmecompetitivebid.com/. For information about the types of suppliers each accrediting organization is approved to accredit and how to contact an accreditor, visit http://www.cms.hhs.gov/CompetitiveAcqforDMEPOS/.