Ombudsmen for DMEPOS competitive bidding program available to assist providers

Eight ombudsmen for the Medicare durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program are now available to assist providers, suppliers, and beneficiaries. These ombudsmen are charged with providing information and education to all the parties involved and facilitating the resolution of complaints and concerns. A list of the ombudsmen with contact information on the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) can be found at www.dmecompetitivebid.com.

In a separate development, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced that non-contract suppliers located in the 10 DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Areas (CBAs) should have taken the appropriate steps to notify beneficiaries whose permanent residence is in a CBA of their decision to become or not to become grandfathered suppliers for each competitively bid item. These decisions should be conveyed through a written notification to the beneficiary before July 1, the start date of the new program. This notification should only be sent to beneficiaries who maintain a permanent residence in a CBA. Suppliers can determine if a beneficiary resides in a CBA by comparing the beneficiary's zip code to the zip code files on the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor's Web site.

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