Tag: CBIC

WASHINGTON – CMS and the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor have launched a redesigned home page. The new, user- and mobile-friendly page features improved aesthetics, simplified visual content emphasizing the current competitive bidding program phase, one-click easy access to each phase, and a new display of upcoming events. The site also has contract supplier FAQs that answer general questions about the DMEPOS CBP and Connexion FAQs to assist in locating and completing forms in...

WASHINGTON - The CBIC recently sent a message indicating that Round 2021 “contract offers and disqualification information would soon be provided” in Connexion, but they did it without clearing it with CMS, according to AAHomecare. “Furthermore, our counsel was told that CMS has not yet made a decision on moving forward on Round 2021,” the association stated in a bulletin. Industry stakeholders took the CBIC's message as a sign that maybe CMS's next round of competitive bidding...

WASHINGTON - The CBIC on March 26 asked providers to review their enrollment record in preparation for Round 2021 of national competitive bidding. Specifically, the CBIC asked providers to review if they are commonly owned (one or more providers has an ownership interest totaling at least 5% in the others) and/or commonly controlled (one or more providers are also an officer, director or partner of another provider). Commonly owned and/or commonly controlled providers are prohibited from competing...

BALTIMORE - The financial capacities that contract suppliers submitted as part of their bids don't hold much weight, based on new guidance from the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC).Contract suppliers must continue to provide equipment and services, even if they're beyond their submitted capacities, the CBIC now states.“If you are getting inundated and being asked to provide five times the products you said you could—there's an argument for that, but it's just not in...

WASHINGTON - HME providers in the competitive bidding program may no longer decline referrals after reaching their financial capacity, according to AAHomecare.In a recent bulletin, the association said it has received clarification from the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) that this is no longer acceptable.“AAHomecare has had several discussions with the CBIC expressing that financial capacity is a real issue with potentially devastating impact,” the bulletin reads....

WASHINGTON - It's still early, but industry stakeholders are already hearing reports of licensure issues in the Round 1 re-compete.This time, however, it's licensed providers that say their bids were rejected because, according to the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC), they were not properly licensed.“We've just begun licensure analysis, but CMS seems to be making the same kind of mistakes,” said Cara Bachenheimer, senior vice president of government relations for Invacare....

WASHINGTON - CMS “strongly urges” bidders to read the financial document requirements in the Round 1 recompete Request for Bids (RFB) instructions and to make sure all documents meet the specific requirements. All documents must be received by the competitive bidding implementation contractor (CBIC) on or before Dec. 14, 2012. Bids that do not meet the requirements will be disqualified. It is not too late to submit corrections to financial documents that have already been submitted. Faxed...

WASHINGTON - A new educational webcast for the Round 1 recompete of the competitive bidding program is now available on the CBIC website. The free webcast explains important rules in the Round 1 recompete request for bids (RFB) that suppliers should understand before preparing bids. The webcast also provides resources to assist with the bidding process. The webcast is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A transcript of the webcast will be posted on the website. To view the webcast,...

The other day in this blog, I asked the following question: "Can the industry have it both ways? Can it embrace the economists when they say the current program is greatly flawed, but give them the cold shoulder when they propose what, in their opinion, is a workable alternative?" The answer, according to John Shirvinsky, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of Medical Suppliers (PAMS), is "Yes." After reading the email that John sent to me yesterday, I'm inclined to agree. Mike Moran Here's...

John Shirvinsky, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of Medical Suppliers (PAMS) sent me this email a few minutes ago. This is such important information that I asked John if I could share his email and he said yes. So here it is: I just received a call from the PA Medical Society telling me that they are receiving calls from physicians who are being advised by long term care facilities, pharmacies and HME providers that effective July 6, 2010, they will no longer accept prescriptions...