BALTIMORE--In a formal change request issued Friday afternoon, CMS said all DMEPOS providers who bill Part B must be accredited before being awarded a contract under Medicare's upcoming national bidding competition--and to do business with the program.

The agency also formalized its mandate that all HME providers submitting bids meet both its business and product-specific service standards (see HomeCare Monday, Aug. 21, 2006) and be accredited by a CMS-approved accrediting body.

"This change request provides a new instruction to inform DMEPOS suppliers that they must comply with DMEPOS Quality Standards. This instruction indicates that a DMEPOS supplier must be accredited in order to receive and retain a supplier billing number and receive Medicare Part B payments for DMEPOS items or services," the request said.

The request also cited an implementation date of April 2, although a CMS spokeswoman confirmed that "all suppliers will have to be accredited, but we haven't set a deadline." Another source said Friday that the transmittal could be reissued to avoid any confusion over deadlines.

Industry stakeholders have been on tenterhooks in recent weeks as they wait for CMS to issue a final rule on competitive bidding and announce the 10 metropolitan areas where the first round of bidding will begin. According to the agency's current timeline, providers in the 10 cities it selects should be accredited by spring, with the bidding program slated to get underway in October.

To view CMS' Medicare Part B supplier standards, click here.

For a list of CMS' deemed accrediting organizations and information about what each is approved to accredit, visit http://www.cms.hhs.gov/CompetitiveAcqforDMEPOS.