Medicare Announces Contract Suppliers for DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced the contract suppliers for the first round of the Medicare durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) competitive bidding program. The competitive bidding program will offer beneficiaries in the designated competitive bidding areas (CBAs) access to quality DMEPOS products and services with lower out-of-pocket costs. As a result of the competitive bidding process, the amounts that Medicare will pay for the 10 product categories included in Round 1 of the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program overall average 26% less than Medicare s previous payment amounts. Savings for beneficiary out-of-pocket cost and Medicare range from 14% on negative pressure wound therapy devices and accessories up to as much as 43% on mail order diabetic supplies. Beneficiaries in these CBAs will begin seeing these savings on July 1, 2008.