DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program
How does the Medicare DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program work?
The Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program (CBP) allows DMEPOS suppliers to compete to become contract suppliers.
DMEPOS suppliers submit bids to provide certain items of DMEPOS to people with Medicare living in, or visiting, competitive bidding areas (CBAs). We use these bids to set the amount we’ll pay for each item.
We thoroughly screen all suppliers to make sure they:
- Meet applicable state licensing requirements.
- Are accredited for the product category.
- Have an active Provider Transaction Access Number (PTAN).
- Meet financial requirements.
People with Original Medicare in CBAs who need competitively bid DMEPOS have to get their items from a contract supplier if they want Medicare’s help to pay.
Why is the Medicare DMEPOS CBP important?
The DMEPOS CBP is important because it:
- Lowers out-of-pocket costs for people with Medicare.
- Saves the Medicare program money while making sure beneficiaries can get quality items and services.
- Works with other fraud, waste, and abuse initiatives and has saved over $2 billion per year without negative health outcomes.
What's the Medicare DMEPOS CBP timeline?
Beginning January 1, 2019, there was a temporary gap in the DMEPOS CBP that ended on December 31, 2020.
On March 7, 2019, CMS announced plans to consolidate the CBAs included in the Round 2 Recompete and Round 1 2017 into a single round of competition named Round 2021.
Round 2021 competitive bidding contracts were awarded for two product categories: off-the-shelf back and knee braces. On October 27, 2020, CMS announced the payment amounts for these two product categories and awarded contracts in certain Competitive Bidding Areas. Learn more about the Round 2021 DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program (PDF).
On November 20, 2020, CMS announced the Round 2021 contract suppliers for the off-the-shelf back and knee braces product categories under the DMEPOS CBP.
On January 1, 2021, contracts for Round 2021 of the DMEPOS CBP began and will extend through December 31, 2023.
How can I help people with Medicare get more information about the Medicare DMEPOS CBP?
You can tell people with Medicare to call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or visit Medicare.gov/supplier for more information.