CMS fraud demo includes background checks
By HME News Staff
Updated Sun September 30, 2007
WASHINGTON - Listeners to CMS's Open Door Forum Aug. 29 received several reminders about national competitive bidding, accreditation and the agency's new fraud and abuse demonstration.
CMS officials noted that the deadline for registering for competitive bidding IDs and passwords came and went Aug. 27. They reminded providers that the deadline for submitting bids is Sept. 25 and the deadline for becoming accredited is Oct. 31.
Sandra Bastinelli, CMS's acting division director of special programs, cautioned providers not to use the new accreditation deadline as an excuse to delay their on-site surveys.
"If you have any deficiencies, you may not or will not have time to get accredited, because you have to correct those deficiencies," she said. "Keep in mind that just because you apply for accreditation doesn't guarantee you will be accredited."
Bastinelli reiterated that CMS has yet to set a drop-dead deadline for all providers to become accredited.
CMS officials also reiterated that providers in several counties in Florida and California will receive letters asking them to resubmit applications for supplier numbers within 30 days. Moreover, providers in those areas will undergo multiple unannounced site visits, and owners and managing employees will undergo background checks.
There were 430 listeners to the forum. CMS has scheduled the next forum for Oct. 10.
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