Summary of CMS' June ODF on HH, Hospice and DME
Dear PMC Members:
On Tuesday, June 30th, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) hosted an Open Door Forum (ODF) on Home Health, Hospice and Durable Medical Equipment (DME). Natalie Highsmith and Lori Anderson of CMS’ Office of External Affairs moderated the forum.
The following were issues discussed that are of importance to power mobility device (PMD) suppliers:
Accreditation
CMS officials continued to remind DME providers to have applications pending for accreditation to ensure that there is enough time for an application review and an on-site visit. All DME providers must be accredited by September 30, 2009 or risk revocation of their billing number. CMS’ new DME provider enrollment form, 855S, should be update with all current information to facilitate the accreditation and bonding process.
CMS also asked providers to review the supplier standards, specifically noting that there should be only one provider at any one address, no “cohabitation.”
For those suppliers who elect not to get accredited, they should contact the NSC prior to October 1st to voluntarily terminate their supplier number. Notifying the NSC and voluntarily terminating a supplier number will allow the supplier to retain the right to re-enroll in Medicare. If the NSC is not notified, non-accredited providers will face revocation of their Medicare number and will not be able to enroll again until at least a year after the revocation date.
Subcontractors who deliver, instruct, service or maintain DME must also be accredited by the October 1st deadline.
Competitive Bidding
CMS will be providing a detailed timeline and list of educational outreach initiatives for competitive bidding implementation later this summer. Until then, providers should be preparing to start the bidding process sometime in the Fall. All bidders will have to meet accreditation, bonding and licensure requirements.
Surety Bond
All DME providers will need to provide a copy of a surety bond to the NSC by October 1st. At least a $50,000 bond will need to be secured for each provider location, regardless of the number of locations. An extensive surety bond FAQ can be found at: http://www.palmettogba.com/Palmetto/Providers.nsf/docsCat/National%20Supplier%20Clearinghouse~Supplier%20Enrollment~FAQs?open&expand=1
The next Home Health, Hospice and DME ODF is scheduled for July 29th. The PMC will provide you with details on how to participate once they become available.
