CMS provides additional bid details in new FAQ

WASHINGTON – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has published a new FAQ on the next round of its competitive bidding program (CBP), addressing questions about the requirements and scope of remote-item delivery (RID), the transition to contract suppliers for continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and more. 

The agency answered the following questions about RID: 

Do bidding suppliers need to be licensed in all 50 states for the furnishing of items under a Remote Item Delivery (RID) CBP product category? 

Yes. 

Do bidding suppliers need to be licensed in all 50 states before submitting bids for the furnishing of items under a RID CBP product category? 

Bidders don’t have to be licensed in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and the U.S. territories before submitting a bid, but bidders must be properly licensed by the close of the bid window and maintain the licenses throughout the bid evaluation process and the contract performance period, if CMS awards them a contract. 

Will the competitive bidding area for the RID CBP be nationwide? 

Yes. 

CMS also provided additional details about how it will handle the transition to contract suppliers for CGMs, as well as ostomy and urological supplies and hydrophilic catheters. 

Will suppliers furnishing Class II CGM supplies, ostomy supplies, urological supplies, and hydrophilic catheters that are not awarded contracts under the DMEPOS CBP be able to continue furnishing these items to Medicare beneficiaries that they had a supply arrangement with prior to the start of the contract period? 

No. Medicare beneficiaries getting Class II CGM supplies for Class II CGMs they own, and Medicare beneficiaries who have been getting hydrophilic urinary catheters, ostomy supplies, and urological supplies from suppliers not awarded contracts under the DMEPOS CBP will need to transition to contract suppliers for these items furnished during the contract period. (By law, Class III CGMs are not included in the CBP). 

Will noncontract suppliers furnishing rented class II CGMs and insulin pumps at the time the contract period starts be allowed to continue furnishing the class II CGMs and insulin pumps as grandfathered suppliers? 

Yes. If the noncontract supplier elects to be a grandfathered supplier for these items for beneficiaries renting these items at the time the contract period starts, they must agree to continue furnishing the class II CGMs and insulin pumps that were being rented to any beneficiary who wants to continue receiving the CGMs and/or insulin pump from the noncontract supplier. The beneficiary can elect to transition from the noncontract supplier to a contract supplier for the CGM and/or insulin pump at any time during the contract period even if the non-contract supplier elected to become a grandfathered supplier. Grandfathering does not apply to situations where the supplier has already received payment for 13 months of continuous use for an insulin pump, the title for which will transfer to the beneficiary at the end of the 13th paid rental month. Grandfathered suppliers of class II CGMs and/or insulin pumps will be paid based on the monthly rental amounts established under the DMEPOS CBP with no cap on the rental payments. 

Additionally, the agency offered that it expects to make a list of items under each product category available by early summer. 

Read the full FAQ here.