The Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program Round 2 and national mail-order competitions are coming soon! If you plan to bid, take action now to make sure you have all required licensures for the competitive bidding areas and product categories for which you plan to bid. You must have current versions of all required licenses on file with the National Supplier Clearinghouse (NSC) at the time of bidding or we can reject your bid.
The NSC has recently updated its DMEPOS licensure database. This database contains the licensure requirements for each state and territory and can assist you in verifying that you meet current licensure requirements. The updated database contains a search tool that is more interactive and is arranged by product specialty rather than supplier type. The database also contains contact information for licensing agencies in each state and territory. Licensure requirements vary from state to state and locality to locality. The NSC licensure directory provides a good starting point to help you identify the licenses you need. State licensure requirements change periodically and have many exceptions, so the NSC's database serves only as a guide. It remains your responsibility to ensure you are in compliance with the most current state and federal laws and regulations. The new and improved NSC licensure database can found on the NSC website at http://www.PalmettoGBA.com/NSC (select the "Licensure Database" in the Self Service Tools section of the homepage). You can verify the licenses you currently have on file with the NSC via the internet-based Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS) at https://PECOS.CMS.hhs.gov/pecos/login.do. For more information about the Competitive Bidding Program, including a factsheet about the licensure requirements for bidding suppliers, please visit the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor website at www.DMECompetitiveBid.com<http://www.DMECompetitiveBid.com>. --------------------------------------------------------- Vaccination is the Best Protection Against the Flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is encouraging everyone 6 months of age and older to get vaccinated against the seasonal flu. The risks for complications, hospitalizations, and deaths from the flu are higher among individuals aged 65 years and older. Medicare pays for the seasonal flu vaccine and its administration for seniors and others with Medicare with no co-pay or deductible. And remember, vaccination is particularly important for healthcare workers, who may spread the flu to high risk patients. Don't forget to immunize yourself and your staff. Protect your patients. Protect your family. Protect yourself. Get the Flu Vaccination -- Not the Flu. Remember - Influenza vaccine plus its administration are covered Part B benefits. CMS has posted the 2011-2012 seasonal influenza vaccine payment limits at http://www.CMS.gov/McrPartBDrugAvgSalesPrice/10_VaccinesPricing.asp. Note that influenza vaccine is NOT a Part D-covered drug. For information about Medicare's coverage of the influenza vaccine and its administration, as well as related educational resources for healthcare professionals and their staff, visit http://www.CMS.gov/MLNProducts/35_PreventiveServices.asp. ------------------------------------------------------ Note: If you have problems accessing any hyperlink in this message, please copy and paste the URL into your Internet browser. If you know someone who would like to subscribe to a Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) provider listserv, go to (http://www.cms.gov/prospmedicarefeesvcpmtgen/downloads/Provider_Listservs.pdf). If you would like to unsubscribe from a specific provider listserv, please go to (https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?INDEX) 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.gov/ContactCMS). Thank you.
