ATLANTA--The questions are endless and the answers seem few, but there is help for home medical equipment providers on the intricacies of competitive bidding.

National and state associations, buying groups and manufacturers are stepping forward with an array of conferences, seminars and Web-based training to assist in everything from understanding CMS' competitive bidding final rule to placing a bid.

Among the offerings:

May 8-10: While information technology will be a focus at The MED Group's Reimbursement & IT Conference at the Hyatt Riverfront in Jacksonville, Fla., topics will also include preparing for competitive bidding, changes in Medicare and roundtable discussions with peers. Details: www.medgroup.com

May 9: "Understanding the Realities of Competitive Bidding, Network Opportunities and Accreditation," presented by the Midwest Association of Medical Equipment Suppliers and The VGM Group at the Four Point Sheraton, Kansas City Airport, Kansas City, Mo., will include an overview of the competitive bidding final rule, preparations and options for submitting a bid and an analysis of the short- and long-term impact on HME providers. Details: http://www.vgmeducation.com/traveling_education.asp, or contact MAMES at (651) 351-5395

May 9-10: "Competitive Bidding, Accreditation, Reimbursement Changes: Your Medicare Survival Toolkit," sponsored by the American Association for Homecare, will be held at the Marriott Houston Intercontinental Hotel. Topics include navigating competitive bidding, tools to achieve accreditation and best business practices for reimbursement changes. Details: www.aahomecare.org

May 14-15: "Essential Pieces to the Healthcare Puzzle," sponsored by the New York Medical Equipment Providers association, will be held at the Crowne Plaza, White Plains, N.Y. Topics range from competitive bidding to new market opportunities. Details: www.nymep.org

May 16: "Understanding the Realities of Competitive Bidding, Network Opportunities and Accreditation," presented by the California Association of Medical Product Suppliers and VGM, is scheduled at the Ontario Airport Marriott, Ontario, Calif. Details: http://www.vgmeducation.com/traveling_education.asp, or www.campsone.org

May 24: A "National Competitive Bidding Seminar" will be presented by the North Carolina Association of Medical Equipment Services and VGM at the Hilton Charlotte University Place. Details: http://www.vgmeducation.com/traveling_education.asp, or contact NCAMES at (919) 387-1221

June 4: Medtrade Conferences on the Road will present "Turning a Challenge into an Opportunity: How to Succeed with Competitive Bidding" at the Hilton Miami Airport. Topics include bid preparation, the pros and cons of network bidding, a walk through the bid application process and survival steps if you are not a successful bidder. Details: Visit www.medtrade.com, and click "Medtrade Conferences on the Road"

June 5-7: "Homecare at Risk," AAHomeCare's annual Legislative Conference, is set at the J.W. Marriott, Washington, D.C., with a state issues roundtable, an inside look at CMS and Capitol Hill appointments for attendees. Details: www.aahomecare.org.

June 11-14: VGM's Heartland Conference (for members only) will be held at the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center in Waterloo, Iowa. Along with eight seminar tracks, discussion of competitive bidding and a variety of networking events are planned. Details: http://www.heartland2007.com

Providers who can't attend any of these events can still get help online.

HME retail consultant Jack Evans of Malibu, Calif.-based Global Media Marketing, in concert with several other industry consultants and the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy, has put together three Webinars on accreditation and competitive bidding, including: "How to Succeed with Competitive Bidding" with speaker Jeffrey Baird of Brown & Fortunato, PC, on May 10; "Step-by-Step Accreditation: What You Need to Know" with speaker Mary Ellen Conway of Capital Healthcare Group, May 17; and "Mandatory Accreditation is Here" with speaker Tom Cesar of the Accreditation Commission for Health Care, May 23. Details: http://www.hmeducation.com/

Providers can also find a wealth of competitive bidding information from Invacare, The MED Group, Sunrise Medical and VGM on their respective sites at: www.invacare.com; www.medgroup.com; www.sunrisemedical.com; and www.vgm.com.

For official bidding information from the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor, link to the CBIC Web site here.

For questions, call the CBIC competitive bidding helpline at (877) 577-5331.

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