(The following is an excerpt from the Spring 2007 APO Newsletter)

Dear Mr. Hodges,

Many of us in the independent pharmacy community

are very concerned about the Medicare

Part B Accreditation process and the requirements

for competitive bidding. Can you provide

the members of CPhA’s Academy of Pharmacy

Owners with an update about this process?

Jerry Shapiro, APO Co-Chair

MEDICARE PART B MANDATORY

ACCREDITATION & NATIONAL

COMPETITIVE BIDDING

As many of you know Accreditation is mandatory

for Medicare Part B providers and the

National Competitive Bidding has started.

On April 2, 2007, the acting administrator

of CMS, Leslie Norwalk, conducted a press

briefing for National Competitive Bidding.

Announced at this time were the 10 Metropolitan

Statistical Areas (MSA) as well as

the 10 categories of products to be bid. If

you haven't seen the list you can find it at

this link,

http://www.dmecompetitivebid.com/cbic/cbic.nsf/(pages)/home

on the left menu and product categories are

in the link text about mid-page. The only

MSA in the Western US is Riverside/San

Bernadino/Ontario.

Dates, Dates, Who’s Got The Dates?

Is anyone else confused about dates and

deadlines associated with the implementation

of Accreditation and NCB? Get in line. The

truth about the dates is that they are being

made up as we go along. This 60-day

window CMS is allowing for the competitive

bidding for the first 10 MSA’s is scary. The

process is complex and, by CMS admission,

will take 70 hours to complete… and if you

get it wrong, you are out of the Part B

business (for bid products) for three years.

The Accreditation date for bidders is the

same 60-day window requiring completion

of Accreditation of an application filed with

an Accreditation Organization. Dates for

non-bidders are not set. You still have to get

Accredited, you just have to be ready when

your date comes up.

Don’t Panic, don’t be passive, be prepared.

Some of you are already accredited or are

working on it. Others are intent on waiting

until they have an absolute “get accredited

or Medicare will stop paying you” deadline.

While getting accredited now will cost

money now, it will reduce your risk if CMS

imposes a short window—like they have

recently. Not getting accredited will save

money every day you wait, but the risk is

higher that you will be subject to short time

frames by CMS.

It’s up to you when you get accredited.

Regardless, you should get prepared.

Decide now if Accreditation is for you and

pick an Accreditation Organization that

meets your needs. If you just do Diabetic

supplies and mobility aids etc, with no HME

rentals, you can choose NABP for only

$60.00 per month (average price of 3-year

membership) you can. If you need help,

policy and procedure manuals, along with

NABP start up kits cost as little as $350.00.

Accreditation is affordable and well worth

the nominal cost to remain in the Medicare

Part B program.

Good luck.

By Stephen V. Hodges

HME Solution Inc

(888) 228-4867