Reporter's Notebook: Open Door Forum, April 1
More than 500 callers dialed into the Home Health, Hospice & DME Open Door Forum conducted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Wednesday, April 1.
Among the highlights and updates:
-- CMS continues to emphasize the upcoming Oct. 1, 2009, deadline for DMEPOS supplier accreditation. Said CMS' Sandra Bastinelli: "Should you not get accredited by that date, we want to again caution you and remind you that the CMS contractor, that being the National Supplier Clearinghouse, will begin the revocation process, and that will start with the supplier receiving a letter on or after October 2."
-- CMS' Joel Kaiser said regarding the upcoming national competitive bidding program, "I really don't have anything to report, no major news for this month." But then he added, "I will remind folks that the interim final rule is effective on (April) 18th, and I would also remind folks that the law requires us to conduct the competition in 2009. We are still evaluating the timeline to determine how to proceed in order to be in compliance with this requirement."
-- The first deadlines regarding CMS' surety bond requirement are coming up soon. Jim Bossenmeyer, from CMS' Office of Financial Management, said the agency had created a new form for DMEPOS suppliers seeking Medicare enrollment; the form, which must be used starting June 1, reflects the surety bond requirement.
Bossenmeyer also said that National Supplier Clearinghouse applications pending as of May 4 will be subject to the surety bond requirements unless they have been granted exemptions.
Bossenmeyer also reminded suppliers to obtain their bonds from a surety listed on the Department of the Treasury Web site: www.fms.treas.gov/c570/c570_a-z.html
-- The next Open Door Forum is scheduled for Wednesday, June 3.
This article originally appeared in the June 2009 issue of Mobility Management.
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