2015-12-11

Only Five Days Left to Bid for Round 1 2017 of the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is currently accepting bids for Round 1 2017 of the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program.

All bids must be submitted in DBidS, the online bidding system, before 9 p.m. prevailing Eastern Time on Wednesday, December 16, 2015. All required hardcopy documents that must be included as part of the bid package must be RECEIVED by the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) on or before December 16, 2015.

Here are some important reminders:

• Review the Request for Bids (RFB) instructions
• Watch the following short and very helpful instructional videos
  • How to Complete Form A
  • How to Complete Form B
  • Submitting Hardcopy Documents
• Review the fact sheets, user guides, checklists, and bid preparation worksheets on the CBIC website
• Ensure the accuracy of the information on your CMS-855S enrollment application(s) with the National Supplier Clearinghouse (NSC) and in the Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS)
• Ensure that licensure and accreditation for each location on your bid(s) is up-to-date and on file with the NSC and in PECOS. Licensing requirements change periodically, and it remains the responsibility of the bidding supplier to identify and obtain all required licenses.
• You must submit your bid in DBidS using the user ID and password you created during registration. If you have not already logged into DBidS, we strongly recommend that you do so NOW to have plenty of time to complete your bid. If you have forgotten your user ID and/or password, you may recover them by using the "Forgot User ID?" and "Forgot Password?" links located on the Identity Management (IDM) system login page.
• Your authorized official (AO) or backup authorized official (BAO) must approve your Form A and certify your Form B before the close of bidding. If you modify your bid after it has been approved or certified, it will need to be reapproved or recertified. If Form A is not approved or Form B is not certified, your bid cannot be evaluated, and you will not be considered for a contract. You can verify the status of your forms by logging into DBidS and checking the status page.
• All bidders must submit certain required hardcopy documents as specified in the RFB instructions. It is very important that you review the hardcopy documents section and the sample financial statements in the RFB to ensure your documents include the required information. We also encourage you to use the Hardcopy Document Package Checklist, which may be found in Appendix E of the RFB. If you have already submitted your financial documents, you may still amend those documents as long as they are RECEIVED by the CBIC on or before December 16, 2015. We cannot consider late, faxed, or e-mailed documents.
• Covered Document Review Process: If the CBIC received your financial documents by the covered document review date (CDRD), November 16, 2015, you will receive an e-mail about your financial documents from the CBIC by February 9, 2016.
  • If the CBIC did not receive all of the required financial documents by the CDRD, the e-mail will alert the AO and BAO to expect a letter notifying him/her of the specific missing financial document(s). This letter will be mailed to the AO at the correspondence mailing address listed on the CMS-855S application (Section 4.B) and in PECOS. You will be required to submit the indicated missing financial document(s) within 10 business days of the notification.
  • If the CBIC received all of the required financial documents by the CDRD, the e-mail will confirm that the CBIC received all required financial documents and that no further action from you is required.
  • If the CBIC did not receive any financial documents by the CDRD, you will not receive an email or letter about your financial documents. However, all required hardcopy documents specified in the RFB must be received by the CBIC on or before Wednesday, December 16, 2015.
• Preliminary Bid Evaluation: This notification process, which was originally provided for suppliers bidding in Round 2 Recompete and/or the national mail order recompete, includes a preliminary review of all bids after bidding closes. The review will determine whether the bid(s) was satisfactorily completed, certified, and approved in DBidS; if a hardcopy document package was received timely; and if the location(s) met the necessary enrollment requirements for the bid(s) by the close of the bid window and is eligible for further review. This preliminary review does not include your financial documents, which is a separate review and notification process, which is explained above.

In addition to viewing the information on the CBIC website, suppliers are encouraged to call the CBIC customer service center at 877-577-5331 between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. prevailing Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. Hours are extended to 9 p.m. prevailing Eastern Time during the last two weeks of the Round 1 2017 bidding window.