Physicians, Nurses and Allied Health Professionals Open Door Forum

**Updated February 5, 2013 - The Durable Medical Equipment, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program will be changing how some Medicare patients get covered supplies. Be sure to give your Medicare patients the correct information. Please review (copy and paste the link into your web browser) the following link for information for people who refer Medicare beneficiaries for DMEPOS: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-Fee-for-Service-Payment/DMEPOSCompetitiveBid/index.html?redirect=/DMEPOSCompetitiveBid/01_overview.asp .
**Updated January 28, 2013 - The agenda for the January 29, 2013 Physicians, Nurses & Allied Health Professionals Open Door Forum is posted in the Downloads section below. If you wish to participate, dial 1-800-837-1935; Conference ID: 78870847. Thank you for your continued interest in the CMS Open Door Forums.
**Updated January 24, 2013 - We are aware that many people were not able to participate during today’s Future Development of the QIO Program Special Open Door Forum due to a limited number of phone lines available. We apologize for this inconvenience. An encore replay of this call will be available beginning today at 4pm ET and will continue until midnight, Friday, January 25, 2013. To access the encore feature, dial: 1-855-859-2056; Conference ID: 90637068. A transcript and copy will also be made available in the coming days and will be posted on our website. You will receive notification when the transcript and audio copy are available on our website. Thank you for your continued interest in the CMS Open Door Forums.
**Updated January 24, 2013 - The slides for today's (12:30pm - 2:00pm ET) Future Development of the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Program Special Open Door Forum are now available on our website at http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/QualityImprovementOrgs/Downloads/QIOSODF01-24-13.pdf . If you wish to participate, dial 1-800-837-1935; Conference ID: 90637068. Please see the full participation announcement in the Downloads section below. Thank you for your continued interest in the CMS Open Door Forums.
**Updated January 22, 2013 - The next Physicians, Nurses & Allied Health Professionals Open Door Forum is scheduled for Tuesday, January 29, 2013 from 2:00pm – 3:00pm, ET. If you wish to participate, dial 1-800-837-1935; Conference ID: 78870847. An agenda will be posted before the scheduled call and you will receive a separate notification. Thank you for your continued interest in the CMS Open Door Forums.
**Updated January 17, 2013 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will host a Special Open Door Forum, entitled "Future Development of the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Program," on January 24, 2013 from 12:30pm - 2:00pm ET. If you wish to participate, dial 1-800-837-1935; Conference ID: 90637068. Please see the full participation announcement in the Downloads section below. Thank you for your continued interest in the CMS Open Door Forums.
**Updated January 10, 2013 - CMS is providing an opportunity to preview the redesigned Physician Compare website prior to its release early this year. Please see the Downloads section below for further details. Thank you.
**Updated January 2, 2013 - CMS Announces 90-Day Period of Enforcement Discretion for Compliance with Eligibility and Claim Status Operating Rules. Please see the Downloads section below for full announcement.
**Updated December 17, 2012 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will host a National Provider Call on the Implementation of Section 3133 of the Affordable Care Act: Improvement to Medicare DSH Payments on Tuesday, January 8, 2013 from 1:30pm - 3:30pm ET. Please see the full announcement in the Downloads section below for registration information. Thank you.
**Updated December 13, 2012 - The next Physicians, Nurses & Allied Health Professionals Open Door Forum is scheduled for Wednesday, December 19, 2012 from 2:00pm – 3:00pm, ET. If you wish to participate, dial 1-800-837-1935; Conference ID: 78846043. An agenda will be posted before the scheduled call and you will receive a separate notification. Thank you for your continued interest in the CMS Open Door Forums.
**Updated December 13, 2012 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will host a Special Open Door Forum entitled Suggested Electronic Clinical Template for Power Mobility Devices on Wednesday, December 19, 2012 from 4:00pm - 5:00pm ET. If you wish to participate, dial 1-800-837-1935; Conference ID: 69289478. Please see the full participation announcement in the Downloads section below. Thank you for your continued interest in the CMS Open Door Forums.
**Updated December 13, 2012 - Please see the "New Electronic Mailing List to Keep Fee-For-Service Providers Informed" announcement in the Downloads section below.
**Updated December 11, 2012 - On Wednesday, December 12, 2012 from 4:00pm - 5:00pm ET, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will host a Special Open Door Forum to review the upcoming increase in Medicaid payments for certain primary care services to equal the Medicare payment rate. The Affordable Care Act calls for this increase to be in effect in 2013 and 2014 with the federal government paying the difference between a state’s Medicaid payment rate for a primary care service and the Medicare rate. If you wish to participate, dial 1-800-837-1935; Conference ID: 80451033. Thank you for your continued interest in the CMS Open Door Forums.
**Updated December 3, 2012 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will host a National Provider Call entitled "Preparing for Therapy Functional Reporting Implementation in CY 2013" on Wednesday, December 12, 2012 from 1:30pm - 3pm ET. Please see the full participation announcement in the Downloads section below.
**Updated December 3, 2012 - The transcript and audio file for the October 22, 2012 Manual Medical Review of Therapy Claims Special Open Door Forum is available on the Special Open Door Forum web page: http://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Outreach/OpenDoorForums/ODFSpecialODF.html . Thank you for your continued interest in the CMS Open Door Forums. **Updated November 6, 2012 - The next Physicians, Nurses & Allied Health Professionals Open Door Forum is scheduled for Friday, November 9, 2012, from 2:00pm – 3:00pm, ET. If you wish to participate, dial 1-800-837-1935; Conference ID: 76246301. Please see the full participation announcement in the Downloads section below. Thank you for your continued interest in the CMS Open Door Forums.
**Updated September 21, 2012 - The next Physicians, Nurses & Allied Health Professionals Open Door Forum is scheduled for Friday, September 28, 2012, from 2:00pm – 3:00pm, ET. If you wish to participate, dial 1-800-837-1935; Conference ID: 76253141. Please see the full participation announcement in the Downloads section below. Thank you for your continued interest in the CMS Open Door Forums.
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Physicians Nurses & Allied Health Professionals Open Door Forum Overview
The Physicians, Nurses, and Allied Health Professionals Open Door Forum addresses the concerns and issues of Medicare and Medicaid physicians, non-physician practitioners, nurses, and other allied health care specialists. This diverse group of providers serves Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries in almost all service settings, ranging from independent physician offices to specialized departments within larger facilities. The types of issues that come up during this forum are as varied as the providers who participate, but some frequent topics include the Physician Fee Schedule, Stark regulations, care plan oversight, payment and documentation rules, Provider Enrollment Chain Ownership System (PECOS), as well as the roles and responsibilities of different allied health professional staff under CMS regulations. Timely announcements and clarifications regarding important rulemaking, quality program initiatives, and other related areas are also included in the forums.

Downloads

DMEPOS Competitive Bidding

Click here for information on the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program Round 1 Recompete.

*For the latest news and information, click on the Latest News and Announcements link on the left side of the page.*
The resources and instructions included throughout these web pages are primarily intended for the Non-Contract Supplier and Referral Agent Community. Medicare beneficiaries may visit www.Medicare.gov to learn more; Bidding and Contract Suppliers should utilize the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) website as their primary source of program information (see link the in "Related Links Outside CMS" section below).

CMS DME Referral Agent Electronic Mailing List

Information for people who refer Medicare beneficiaries for durable medical equipment, orthotics and supplies. The DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program will be changing how some Medicare patients get covered supplies. Be sure to give your Medicare patients the correct information.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Section 302 of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) established requirements for a new Competitive Bidding Program for certain Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS). Under the program, DMEPOS suppliers compete to become Medicare contract suppliers by submitting bids to furnish certain items in competitive bidding areas, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awards contracts to enough suppliers to meet beneficiary demand for the bid items. The new, lower payment amounts resulting from the competition replace the Medicare DMEPOS fee schedule amounts for the bid items in these areas. All contract suppliers must comply with Medicare enrollment rules, be licensed and accredited, and meet financial standards. The program sets more appropriate payment amounts for DMEPOS items while ensuring continued access to quality items and services, which will result in reduced beneficiary out-of-pocket expenses and savings to taxpayers and the Medicare program.
Under the MMA, the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program was to be phased in so that competition under the program would first occur in 10 areas in 2007. As required by law, CMS conducted the Round One competition in 10 areas and for 10 DMEPOS product categories, and successfully implemented the program on July 1, 2008, for two weeks before the contracts were terminated by subsequent law.
The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) temporarily delayed the program in 2008, terminated the Round One contracts that were in effect, and made other limited changes. As required by MIPPA, CMS conducted the supplier competition again in 2009, referring to it as the Round One Rebid. On January 1, 2011, CMS launched the first phase of Medicare's competitive bidding program in nine different areas of the country for nine product categories.
MIPPA also required the competition for Round Two to occur in 2011 in 70 additional metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) and authorizes competition for national mail order items and services after 2010. The Affordable Care Act of 2010 expanded the number of Round Two MSAs from 70 to 91 areas and mandates that all areas of the country are subject either to DMEPOS competitive bidding or payment rate adjustments using competitively bid rates by 2016.
CMS is required by law to recompete contracts for the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program at least once every three years. The Round One Rebid contract period for all product categories except mail-order diabetic supplies expires on December 31, 2013. CMS is conducting the Round One Recompete in the same competitive bidding areas as the Round One Rebid.