BALTIMORE--In anticipation of the final rule regarding national competitive bidding, CMS introduced its DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor Web site last week.

Administered by Palmetto GBA, the designated CBIC, the Web site is available at www.dmecompetitivebid.com.

Most of the pages are under construction pending issuance of the final rule, but once completed, providers will be able to access information on the bid application process, the cities in which competitive bidding is active, educational tools and accreditation requirements, among a host of other topics.

As the CBIC, Palmetto will perform a variety of functions, including preparing the request for bids, evaluating the bids, helping to monitor the program's effectiveness and quality and sponsoring education programs for beneficiaries, suppliers and referral sources. The Web site will include the most up-to-date information on the competitive bidding project, according to CMS.

In its announcement about the Web site, CMS reiterated that all suppliers must provide current information to the National Supplier Clearinghouse in preparation for competitive bidding, noting that providers will have to be "authenticated" before submitting a bid:

"To ensure the safety and security of all suppliers interested in participating in the competitive bidding program, all suppliers will have to be authenticated before [they] will be able to submit a bid. It is imperative that all information you have provided to the National Supplier Clearinghouse is up-to-date for successful authentication to occur," the announcement said.

Providers who have not updated their information or who are unsure if their information is correct should contact the NSC, CMS advised.

The announcement also said that "CMS has not set a deadline for DMEPOS suppliers to become accredited in order to retain/obtain a supplier enrollment number or to competitively bid." But the agency also included a download of its 10 "deemed" accrediting organizations.

In addition, the CMS announcement pointed out five objectives for NCB:

1) To operationalize competitive bidding for DME and to use this to determine appropriate prices for categories of DME covered by Medicare Part B;

2) To protect beneficiary access to quality DME throughout the program;

3) To reduce the amount Medicare pays for DMEPOS and bring the reimbursement amount more in line with that of a competitive market;

4) To limit the burden on beneficiaries by reducing their out-of-pocket expenses; and

5) To mitigate proliferation of use of certain items of DMEPOS by contracting with suppliers who engage in a business model that is beneficial for the program and for Medicare beneficiaries.

For months, providers have been on pins and needles awaiting the final rule for NCB and the list of the first 10 metropolitan statistical areas in which it will be inaugurated. Industry insiders project that it could be released on Friday, and also expect a joint announcement will reveal the initial cities at that time.

To read the CBIC Web site announcement in full and access a download of CMS' 10 approved accrediting organizations, click here.