CMS provides contract counts, other details in new updates

WASHINGTON – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has added several resources to the Bid Preparation section of its DMEPOS competitive bid website, including an official count of the number of planned contracts for each product category.

CMS plans to award:

• Class II Continuous Glucose Monitors and Insulin Pumps: 10
• Hydrophilic Urinary Catheters: 10
• Off-the-Shelf (OTS) Back Braces: 3
• OTS Knee Braces: 4
• OTS Upper Extremity Braces: 5
• Ostomy Supplies: 6
• Urological Supplies: 5

The agency has posted new resources on the following topics:

• Antitrust guidance
• Bidder eligibility requirements
• Bid surety bond
• Common ownership and common control

In a bulletin, AAHomecare also called out a new FAQ addressing the six-month transition period that starts Jan. 1, 2028.

Q: Are non-contract suppliers allowed to continue furnishing competitively bid items during the six-month transition period that begins on January 1, 2028?

A: The six-month transition period is a grace period for Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program (CBP) suppliers (contract suppliers) to obtain a written order for patients transitioning to them from non-contract suppliers beginning on or after January 1, 2028. It is not a transition period during which non-contract suppliers can continue furnishing competitively bid items. Once the six-month grace period expires, beginning July 1, 2028, contract suppliers will be expected to submit the required documentation upon request without exception. Absent such documentation, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services contractors shall collect overpayments following established procedures. In cases where a previous supplier does not provide the required documentation to the new contract supplier, or in other circumstances where documentation is not available, beneficiaries will need to visit their physician in order to obtain a new order to fulfill this requirement and other supporting documentation as appropriate.