If you help people with Medicare get certain medical equipment and supplies, such as oxygen or power wheelchairs, you should know about new requirements for Medicare suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS) now in effect that may change the suppliers that Medicare beneficiaries will need to use. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is sending notification letters to beneficiaries who may need to change suppliers in order for Medicare to pay for their equipment and supplies. The letter encourages each beneficiary to check with their supplier to make sure that the supplier meets the new requirements. The letter also provides instructions for the beneficiary to find another supplier, if necessary. A copy of the notification letter along with additional information on Medicare's new accreditation and surety bond requirements for DMEPOS suppliers may be found at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/Partnerships/03_DMEPOS_Toolkit.asp#TopOfPage.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------- Flu Season is upon us! CMS encourages providers to begin taking advantage of each office visit to encourage your patients with Medicare to get seasonal flu shots. Flu shots are their best defense against combating flu this season. And don't forget-health care workers also need to protect themselves. Medicare provides coverage of the flu vaccine without any out-of-pocket costs to the Medicare patient as a part B benefit. No deductible or copayment/coinsurance applies. Note that influenza vaccine is NOT a Part D covered Drug. For more information about Medicare's coverage of the seasonal influenza vaccine and its administration, as well as related educational resources for health care professionals, please go to http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNProducts/35_PreventiveServices.asp <http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNProducts/35_PreventiveServices.asp> on the CMS website. For information on Medicare policies related to H1N1 influenza, please go to http://www.cms.hhs.gov/H1N1 <http://www.cms.hhs.gov/H1N1> on the CMS website. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------- Note: If you have problems accessing any hyperlink in this message, please copy and paste the URL into your Internet browser. If you would like to be removed from all NIH listservs, please go to (https://list.nih.gov/LISTSERV_WEB/signoff.htm <https://list.nih.gov/LISTSERV_WEB/signoff.htm> ) to unsubscribe. If you would like to unsubscribe from a specific provider listserv, please go to (https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/show_list_archives <https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/show_list_archives> ) to unsubscribe or to leave the appropriate listserv. Please DO NOT respond to this email. This email is a service of CMS and routed through an electronic mail server to communicate Medicare policy and operational changes and/or updates. Responses to this email are not routed to CMS personnel. Inquiries may be sent by going to (http://www.cms.hhs.gov/ContactCMS <http://www.cms.hhs.gov/ContactCMS> ). Thank you.
